Twisted
by Angel Shinigami
Summary: Lets go back to the begining... Back to Harry's birth...Harry is Tom Riddle's child, Sev is his godfather, James is bad...New twist on old Cliches. R&R please
1. Twisted Chapter 1

Title: Twisted

Author: Angel Shinigami

Warnings: YAOI in later chapters. Prepare for anything.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or his friends. …that's about it….

AN: THIS IS STRICTLY FOR FUN! This is my Writers Block story. It may and not make sence at times, but I truly hope you like it ^^

Prologue

~*~*~*~*~

Snape looked up from a large stack of ungraded essays to see a red haired woman with bright green eyes and a small child in her slender white arms.

"Severus…take care of him…"

Severus stood and moved over to the small woman. "Lilly…what are you doing here?"

"Severus, I don't have much time," She said hurriedly, looking behind her sporadically in a very frightened manner. "You can't let them find him…you can't…"

These words confused Severus to no end. What did Lilly mean, "You can't let them find him."

Who was 'Him'?

He looked at the woman with unreadable black eyes, for the first time, actually taking in her appearance.

Lilly Evans, who was usually a very bright and healthy girl, now looked haggard and warn. Her normally healthy egg shell white skin was slightly grey and her eyes had dark circles under them.

Her hair, on any other occasion, a very buoyant and bright, sun kissed red color, was now muted and almost matted with miss-care and sever neglect, a few of the beautiful soft waves that had once been very thick and rich were now thin and looked singed in a few places.

With another glance, he took in the bundled babe in her thin and very skeletal looking arms.

"My god Lilly, what's happened to you?" Severus asked as he stepped forward and gently took her shoulders into his hands and pulled her closer.

Lilly shifted her large green eyes that seemed to take up more than half of her face, took look at the Severus, truly look at him, for the first time since she'd arrived in his classroom.

"Severus, you can't let James find Harry, please, don't tell anyone, not even Dumbledore…neither know…I hid it from them…please, if they knew…They just can't."

She looked behind her once more. "Tom'll come…Tom will come for him, He looks just like him, my Harry, you look just like your father, same beautiful black hair and all...Your father will come for you…" Her eyes had drifted down as she spoke, more to herself than to Severus, or at least…that's what he thought.

And before Severus could blink she had fixed him with a penetrating stare. "Don't let James or Albus know…they'll kill him… I know I can trust you…I just know I can…"

Severus shook her gently, trying to get her to make sense. "Lilly, What are they doing to you, tell me. Hid what from them, do you mean the baby? Lilly…" Severus shook her again, "Lilly, tell me…"

Lilly just shook her head, quickly pushing the tiny baby into his arms and backing away. "It's not mine…please, just take it…"

Looking into Lilly's deep green eyes at her wild statement, Severus found pain and deep anguish as well as deep self loathing and a motherly instinct to protect her only child.

Nodding understandingly, Severus shifted and looked down at the child that was very carefully shoved into his chest.

It was then, when he looked down into the baby's very red, wrinkled skin was still sticky and looked as if it were peeling in multiple places, it's umbilical cord was cut and hastily tied off with a pony tail holder that had seen better days.

The baby shifting and lifting its face up, squirming and seeming to cry with a set of unheard lungs that could've blown out stain glass windows, Severus realized that Lilly must have just given birth, no more than an hour before.

"Lilly," He started, but was stopped with her next words.

"You're his Godfather Sev, let know one find out…it could kill him…it could destroy the truce…I…just want him happy…I…I have to go…"

And just as quickly as she'd blown into the damp potions room, Lilly Potter, wife of James Potter, soul bonded to Tom Riddle, rushed from the potion dungeons and out of the castle as if the hound of hell themselves were after her, so that the child and her beloved mate would be safe.

Little did Severus know that as the two had spoken a small rat crept out of the classroom with a heavy secret and made its way up to tell Albus Dumbledore exactly what he'd over heard.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

What do you think? Good not good? Tell me…I want to know, I have lots planed, lots and lots…

I hope you keep reading and PLEASE review.

Your ever loyal author,

Kat

P.S. If you liked this, please read my other work ^^


	2. Twisted Chapter 2

Chapter 2

o.o.o.o.o.o

Severus stared at the small babe in his arms before he shifted him and moved to get his cloak. He knew that Albus had spies everywhere and he didn't want to be on the wrong side of the older wizard's powers.

He had to get the child out, he had to keep it safe, for his friend, for Lilly…she was counting on him.

"Shhh," he cooed the child as he pulled on his cloak and wrapped it tightly around the two of them.

No noise came from the babe and Severus looked down at it to start in surprise when he realized there was a silencing charm surrounding the boy and for a moment, he thought about removing it, but then he realized the baby was crying and most likely screaming his head off, so he just bounced him softly and quickly swept out of the dungeons.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"H-h-he's leaving sir, w-with the ch-child. She…gave it t-t-to him to p-p-protect, he is a R-r-r-r-riddle supporter s-s-s-sir…"

Albus Dumbledore looked at the cowering man before him and made a obvious sign of disgust.

"Peter, get up, you simpering idiot. Don't you think I know that? He is the left hand of that…snake-like half breed. That he is a mediocre potion maker only adds to his usefulness…. Fear not dear Peter, let him take the child, let him try and save it. We know about it, and that is all that matters…"

Peter Pettigrew, a small and very frightened man of twenty-five summers looked up at his old teacher and shivered as the man pulled out his wand and twirled it between his fingers.

"Now Peter…what ever shall I do with you…"

Peter gave him a twitchy look of confusion. "Sir? I t-told you w-what hap-p-pned, I told you o-of the ch-child."

Albus nodded. "Yes, but you failed to come and get me while that red headed slut of a mudblood was here…Crucio!"

Peter screamed as pain seemed to shatter his bones and rip his insides to shreds at the same time.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Snape quickly disappeared into the forbidden forest and easily avoided the dangerous creatures that inhabited the thick blackness of the trees. He had to move quickly, he couldn't keep the silencing charm on the child for to long, it might damage him and he wouldn't let that happen.

As he moved he tried to maneuver the child gently but he couldn't seem to quite it and he just wished that he could hold him and rock him but he couldn't until he was closer to his master.

Light….he could see light….light meant Hogsmead, Hogsmead meant he could apparate…

He thanked Merlin when he finally burst through the trees and into the open field that surrounded the out skirts of the town. Just a few more steps and he'd be able to get to Tom, but just before he was able to get out of the invisible barrier that stopped anyone from apperating on school grounds, Severus was struck by an unseen force and the baby fell from his arms, landing in the soft grass and rolling past the barrier.

"Danmmit," a deep slightly dark voice growled as a tall figure stepped over the still body below him and moved towards the silent babe, his hand just above the child when it disappeared with a small 'pop', Leaving an extremely confused man behind in its wake.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Lucius Malfoy, a very well respected and highly praised man of his time, prided himself on knowing everything that went on around him. He knew that nothing could surprise him and he liked it that way. Most called him cold or unfeeling, he was usually grouped in the same category as ice and snow.

Nothing had ever rattled him, and up until five minuets ago, when a baby had, quite literally, fallen into his lap, he would've put money on the fact that nothing ever would.

It had happened just as he had sat down in his favorite leather chair to take tea and indulge in a very well hidden guilty pleasure, reading muggle books, when all of a sudden he was assaulted when a blanketed thing fell directly into his lap.

He would've banished it immediately and then moved to check his protection wards around the house if the thing in his lap hadn't moved and frightened the living hell out of him in the process, but unfortunately for him he had a very curious personality and the second he cast a 'remove all spells' spell, just incase there were any hexes or curses on the thing, a very high pitched, very angry, and deafening wail could be heard though out the entire house, swiftly joined by a second high pitched wail of equal proportion.

"Lucius! Lucius what in the world is going on!" Came Narrsissa Malfoy's angry screech that spoke of plenty of sleep and perfect health.

"There is a baby crying Sissa darling, that is the extent of my knowledge" Lucius shouted over the noise as he tried to hold the child close to comfort it and quite it and hold it away to save his ear drums at the same time.

"Well shut it up!" The willowy blonde cried, glaring at the child and at Lucius as she placed her perfectly manicured hands over her ears and quickly left the room, ignoring her own child's screaming and leaving the house in a flurry of white lace and pink satin.

"Bethie! Bethie come quick!" Lucius called, standing and forgetting all about his tea and the wonderful allure of William Gerald Golding's _**Lord of the Flies**_, as he held the rather disgusting child to his chest and moved though his house, bouncing the babe hoping to quite it, but nothing was working.

"Bethie!" He bellowed again.

"What, what is it now Master Malfoy?" Came a vary haggard voice from behind a pair of large French double doors three floors up.

Lucius thought about apperating to where he knew she'd be, he could hear his own son's frighteningly loud new born screams as he drew nearer and nearer the nursery, but didn't think it a very good idea with the baby in his arms.

Two more flights of stairs, down a very long hallway, and down another flight of stairs and he arrived in front of the doors, which opened immediately when he reached the last step.

"Master Malfoy, I can't seem to get him to stop…good Merlin!" Bethie cried, quickly bustling over and switch the tall blonde babies. "Where did you get this one?" she asked, taking in the child's disarray and frail body.

"He just appeared," Lucius said, stroking his son's cheek and trying to get the tiny infant to stop its dry crying.

"I wonder why," Bethie said, moving over to a baby bath and unwrapping the dirty blanket from around the baby's body. "Oh poor thing, no wonder he…" She nodded to herself at her choice of sex when the babe was completely exposed. "He is crying so wildly, he looks as if he was struck, or dropped onto something sharp, there is a deep gash on his forehead…."

Lucius came over and nodded, a frown deeply set on his face when he saw the mark. Whoever harmed the child would not have the opportunity to do it again, he would make sure of it.

"Bethie, prepare a second crib once you have healed him…" Lucius said, his smooth tone demanding mo argument as he turned and began to leave the nursery, still holding his son.

"Yes sir, shall I call an orphanage to come and collect him as well?" she asked, setting about healing the babies cut as she bathed him gently.

"No," Lucius said quickly. "No, he will remain here…does he have a name?" he asked, turning slightly to look at the motherly plump little woman that had been around his home since he was a child himself.

Bethie shook her head, her dull grey hair swishing down her back. "No sir, he has no birth marks at all, it seems he was denounced…" she sighed and shook her head. "Which is a real shame, because he can't be more than a few hours old, a true pity…he has a god parent though…"She said, lifting his foot and looking at the tiny dot just under his toe.

"Well then…I think Julian Alexander Nexis Lucien Malfoy should live here with his family…"

Just after the full name was stated small wisps of blonde hair appeared on the babies head, a tiny brown spot in the shape of a curled up dragon appeared on his hip and his skin lighten dramatically.

Lucius smiled at the transformation. Now the child was a Malfoy, the child was his, he named him, he claimed the child as his own. He was defiantly pleased, he'd always wanted more than one child.

Bethie just shook her head at her master's pleasure. "Oh sir, the Missis isn't going to like this one bit…"

"She will feel the way she will…" Lucius said, feeling a lot more in control than he had an hour ago. "Take care of him Bethie…"

"Aye sir…"She murmured, turning back to the baby that was now very quite, completely asleep. "Must've cried himself to sleep…poor thing…"

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Hey everyone, I finally finished the second chapter, I know it's short, but the next one will be longer, what do you thing of it? Please review, I love to hear your thoughts.

It is 5 a.m. so if there are any mistakes, I'll correct them later ^^

Your ever faithful and very hard working Author,

Kat =^^=


	3. Twisted Chapter 3

Chapter 3

o.o.o.o.o.o.

The years passed sadly for the Malfoys. Draco and Julian had only just turned five when their loving and vary devoted father had been sought out and murdered by a man named Sirius Black.

The young boy didn't understand what had happened, and no one had told them any more than their father's murderer had been named a hero and no legal action could be taken on the man, and none ever was.

Narcisa Malfoy, a terrible woman who thought the world revolved around her and the power to make sure it did, took over the family holdings and the care of both boys until they came of age.

Both boys grew and both became very radiant. Julian developed a great talent for painting and writing, and many other graceful activities, while Draco on the other hand became greatly proficient at sculpting and Quiditch and anything else that required his hands.

The two of them were practically inseparable, they shared the same room, the same taste in music and food and even thought the same things at the same time, but nothing good ever lasted for the two boys.

It was a beautiful Friday morning. Outside the sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing merrily and all seemed right in the world. But inside the sun seemed to turn to ice when it streamed through the windows, the sweet voices of the birds did not penetrate the dark foreboding walls, and Narcisa Malfoy was standing at the head of the table with two envelopes in her boney talon clawed hand.

"It's time the two of you had some apart time…" She stated, looking at the two boys that had stopped eating their warm porridge and were watching her wearily.

"What do you mean mother…" Draco asked after a few minuets when the taller woman had not said anything further.

"I mean, that seeing as yesterday was your eleventh birthday…and…the other's is soon in following, that have decided that you, Draco, will be attending Hogwarts, The only year round Magical School and…the other will be going to a Muggle school."

Julian blinked in confusion. "But Mother, I am not a squib…I am magical…why can't I go to Beau Batons or Juex Belle Majic…"

Narcisa glared at the green eyed boy. "Because I don't feel like sending you to a wizarding school. And as I have control over you until you are Sixteen, I will make the decisions for you."

Julian didn't want to argue but he looked over at his older brother and bite his lower lip softly. They were being separated, and from the finality in his mother's voice, he knew there was no changing her mind.

"When does School start mother?" he asked, relatively eager to go, even if he couldn't be with his brother.

"Jillin or Julen or…whatever you name is, you will leave in a week, Draco, your school starts in a month. I'd prepare to say goodbye…you won't be seeing each other of a long time…"

She laughed to herself as she turned and walked out of the room, taking the last smidgen of warmth from the air as she left.

"Don't worry Julian, I'll write you all the time…I promise, and we'll always be together in our hearts, she can't stop us from that…"

Julian nodded, his bright green eyes turned glassy as tears began to spill down his cheeks and follow a translucent trail down his pale white skin.

He had never been away from his brother, or any other family member before and now he would have to leave for an unknown amount of time.

"I don't want to leave…" He whispered softly, sniffing and trying to make the tears stop.

"Julian…don't cry…I promise we'll see each other…no matter how much mother hates us, we won't loose touch…"

Draco smiled as his brother sniffed and stopped crying, reassured by his brother's optimism.

And so it was, that the following week Narcisa sent Julian off in a car, all by himself, to leave for a French Muggle school with a small brown paper sack and a small vile of black liquid.

o.o.o.o.o.o

"Now here," Narcisa said as she handed Julian the brown bag and the vile. "Drink this on the way there, it will help with… motion sickness." She said after a slight pause. "In the bag you will find lunch…eat it…"

Julian nodded and looked up at the blonde haired woman.

"Aren't you and Draco coming Mother?"

Narcisa snorted and stood up from her semi crouch. "No. Don't you get it, I don't want to see you...I don't love you, you are nothing to me…get a good education dear, you will be told when you can come home…"

o.o.o.o.o.o

Julian kept staring at the vile as the car smoothly made it's way to the train station.

'I hope I'm prepared for school…' he thought, trying to push all thoughts of the painful words his mother had said to him away.

'She's never hurt me before...but why take the chance….' He thought to himself, quickly hiding the vile under one of the car seats and closing his eyes with a deep sigh and a heavy heart.

o.o.o.o.o.o

"….Master Julian….Master Julian…"

Julian was shaken awake and groaned unhappily as he opened his eyes and the world was terribly fuzzy. Reaching up, he felt his face and took off his glasses to clean them and for the millionth time in his young life, wished for perfect vision both his father and brother seemed to be blessed with.

"Miles…I…what's going on? Have we arrived at the train station?" He asked as he slid out of the car and replaced his glasses, pushing the up his nose with a quick motion.

"Yes sir, but if you don't hurry, you'll miss your train…" the elderly man leaned down and embraced his young master. "Be careful child, I feel uneasiness about the coming years…"

Julian nodded and quickly got out of the car, pushing his hair behind his ears and looking towards the large steam engine that seemed to grow bigger the longer he focused on it.

"Master, we have loaded your things onto the train and this is where we will leave you. Have a great year Master…"

Julian watched as his family servants bowed and backed away with even steps as he sighed and turned, looking around at the other families milling about and a few of the girls looking at him and grinning.

In fact…all he saw were girls… dozens of them…

'Well…girls take so long doing everything else, why not saying goodbye to family…'

With that thought, Julian strode forward purposefully and climbed onto the train, beginning to look for a relatively empty compartment to sit in... or at least not one infested with the girls.

But every where he looked there were girls, some with long hair, some with short, some tall, some small, it really didn't matter…the thing was that all of them were girls…not a boy in sight…

Until finally, in the very last car, he found a compartment that was housed by a boy, or what he thought was a boy.

The person had short black hair, dark blue eyes and sat in a very defensive position, glaring out of the window, looking ready to hit anyone that intruded on the serious brood session.

'Reminds me of Draco on a bad day…' Julian thought with a internal chuckle as he opened the door and walked over to a red, plush, couch like seat.

"Hi…mind if I join you?" He asked, smiling softly, leaning down and trying to catch the other occupants' eyes.

After a few more minuets of none stop chatter, the…well what was assumed a boy, looked up and settled his glare directly on Julian. "Why would you want to? And why won't you shut up?"

Julian laughed and shrugged, pulling his feet up and turning so that he was stretched across the bench comfortably and as if he were completely at home in his unfamiliar surroundings.

"Why wouldn't I and because you aren't talking so that means I have to talk for the both of us…" he chuckled softly, "but I have to tell you, I can talk to myself for along time with out getting tired, speaking more than twelve languages helps that factor though…"

The boy rolled his eyes and looked out the window again as the train began to pull away from the platform.

"Carry on then, do what you want." Came the darkly aggressive alto that Julian was noticing for the first time.

'Hmm….a little high pitched for a boy of our age…' He thought, but made no sound as if thinking of something more to say.

Julian looked at his hands and vaguely thought about how slender they were and his nail were semi long as well…

'I'll probably be mistaken for a girl at school…' a small sigh escaped him as he shifted slightly. ' Mother always did say I'd look prettier as a little girl…to bad for her…'

"If you're going to sit here I might as well introduce myself…I'm Jack. Who are you?"

A smile crept across his lips and he bowed slightly. "I am Julian Alexander Nexis Lucien Malfoy, it is quite a pleasure to meet you Jack…"

Jack blinked and his glaring was put off in turn for laughter as he shook his head and pushed his angled bangs away from his face, allowing Julian a better view of the lovely eyes underneath the mass.

"Oh god, that's great…do you always introduce yourself like you come from royalty?"

Julian nodded and looked confused for a moment before three girls came in and looked between the two, all of giving the two occupants of the room dark looks of disapproval and rolling their eyes in a haughty manner that reminded Julian strongly of his mother.

"They'll never make anything of themselves with those cloths…they look like boys… disgraceful…"

The girls giggled into their hands and said a few more choice words that Julian wasn't quite ready to repeat before he'd had enough.

Julian stood and glared at the annoying chits in the doorway and stood abruptly, his green eyes flashing dangerously.

"I just happen to be a boy, what are you going to do about it, huh Red?"

He asked, glaring at the girl that was obviously the leader. She stood two inches taller then him and had flaming red hair and brown eyes that were framed with dark brown lashes, very telling of the fact that she died her hair on a regular basis.

Cracking his knuckles dangerously Julian rose an eyebrow and shifted his shoulders, ready for a fight and not caring for the consequences.

The red head narrowed her muddy brown eyes and stuck her nose in the air, tossing her hair over her shoulder, trying to command a situation that she had no power over.

"So what… think you'd fit in better at an all girls school, did you?"

Julian's fingers itched to hit the girl, but he turned to Jack and blinked.

"All girls school?" he asked, sounding very upset.

Jack chuckled and his voice drifted into the small compartment, it was tinted with a smile and it suddenly sounded very girly to Julian, like a middle alto or high tenor.

"You parents tricked you to huh…"

Julian's heart skipped a beat when all the odd pieces fell into place. All the girls around and on the train, not a boy in sight, his mothers eerie smile and why she wouldn't let Draco come to see him off…

"Hey…What wrong?" Jack asked when 'he' noticed that Julian's breathing becoming increasingly rapid and he was turning white.

The tall eleven year old stood and crossed the narrow compartment, gathering the white haired boy into her lean arms and slowly lowering him to the seat behind him.

Julian shook his head as he sniffed and cried into Jack's shoulder. He felt very girly right then, blubbering and being held by someone as he did it, but Draco wasn't around to do it, so he guessed his new friend would have to be his new 'brother'

"I hate my mother, She never told me I was going to an all girls school…what will my brother think…"

Jack glared at the trio of girls in the doorway and after a moment the red-head left in a wild huff.

"Lucky sister?" Jack asked, chuckling softly as she pulled the undiscovered boy further into her embrace.

"Goodness you're light, I'm afraid I'd break you if I squeezed you to hard…"

Julian gave a slightly watery laugh and quickly dashed away the tears that were pouring down his face.

"So, what is your real name?"

Jack made a face. "Jacqueline Daisy Blossom Carter…but that's the name my mother gave me. My real name is Jack. No matter what my mom wants to thing, I'm a boy and when I get older and have the money, I'm going to get a sex change to prove it."

"So what's yours? Julian is a very male name…"

"It's a male name because I'm a boy…" At Jack's doubting look he leaned up and scowled. "I am! A real, honest to Merlin, Boy, My mother hates me and decided this would make me into the prim proper little girl she thinks I should be."

He sighed. "She hates kids, never wanted them, but a few years ago she stopped me in the hall and said to me, ' Darling, you're so pretty…if only you'd been a girl….then I wouldn't have to hurt you so much. We'd have such a wonderful life…if only…', and then she walked away and didn't say another word to me."

Jack stared at his friend and with out a 'by-your-leave' he reached up and felt Julian's chest, squeezing and realizing there was nothing there, he gasped and looked at his friend with a new light in his eyes.

"You are a boy…wow…well, how are we going to hide this from everyone? No one else can know, if they did, they'd send you away, and I'd be alone again."

Julian stifled a giggle. "Well…Jack, the word 'Duh' comes to mind, I'll just have to come to terms with the fact that I'm going to become a very good cross dresser."

Jack rolled his eyes and poked his new friend in the side. "Whatever you say…Julie…" he teased, moving back to her side of the compartment and stretching out across the couch.

And that was how it started, the beginning of a very beautiful friendship that had both of them chatting and giggling and they were very pleased to invite another girl into their cabin half way though the ride.

The girl was slightly pudgy and had more freckles that anyone could count, but she had a beautiful smile and very kind eyes that glittered like gold.

"Hi," She said, biting her lip and looking down at her hands as she nervously toed the carpet. "I'm Morine Lizzy…Can I sit in here with you guys…"

Julian was quick with her smile as she introduced himself and Jack, motioning to the seat beside himself and smiling at the nervous girl.

"Come one in, the more the merrier."

Jack snorted. "For you maybe, but not many people like me…"

Julian roller his eyes and stuck out his tongue at the short haired 'boy'.

"Maybe that because you make yourself out to be a terrible witch…"

Morine giggled lightly and giggled harder when Jack puffed up his eleven year old chest and stuck her tongue out at Julian as well, instantly melting any fear Morine had had about coming into the room that didn't smell like a garden or something much more unpleasant.

The trio shared Julian's packed lunch and chatted until the Train pulled in front of a small platform in the middle of a wonderful looking town.

"Well…this is it…" Jack said, taking a deep breath and stepping out of the stopped train.

Whatever Julian was expecting, Ten people with wands and long flowing dresses, wasn't it.

Slowly, Julian approached one of the tall women and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me," he murmured. "I was told this was a muggle establishment…"

The young witch looked at her and smiled. "To the rest of the world, it is. Now listen…" she said as an elderly woman magically enhanced her voice and said clearly.

"Welcome to Holly Oak…All of you are here because you poses a power that can be shaped and molded and created into something that can combat a great evil that is threatening to take over the world. In the coming years you will become the greatest line of defense that anyone could ever ask for. But we ask that you keep our activities completely secret. If anyone were to find out, it would mean everyone's death."

Wise eyes scanned the crowd of girls and glittered as the woman swept her hand at the ten arranged women.

"Alright, we are about to sort you into houses, there are Five of them, with two house heads, women that you can go to with any problem you find that comes up in the years that you study here. The houses are Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and War. Each house has a color and it will coordinate with the necklaces you will receive. When you are sorted, please move to the arranged carriages. Now, if you will. Line up in front one of the teachers and let the sorting begin."

Julian stepped in front of the young woman next to him and smiled nervously.

"Do your worst, I'm ready."

The girl giggled and waved her hand over Julian's throat. It pulsed red for and moment before the color turned black, then red, and finally settled on a beautiful back color.

The pulsing solidified and became a black silken band around his throat that hid his small Adam's apple and was finished off with a black oval, ringed in silver in the middle.

"Oh, how wonderful, Our first War Witch of the year. I think you like that house, I see great promise in your eyes…"

Julian delicately touched the chocker and smiled brightly as he moved aside and waited for his friends to be sorted as well.

Jack smiled as he came over and pointed happily to his Back choker as well. "Can you believe it? We are way lucky. This is great!"

He bounced slightly and they both watched as Morine's throat pulsed blue then white and solidified into a beautiful pure white band with a peal in the middle, surrounded by golden wire that was curled at the top and bottom so that it looked like a perfume bottle.

"I guess we won't be in the same house…oh well, we can still be great friends."

Julian and Jack nodded as they smiled at their friend. "So, what is white?" Julian asked.

"They said White meant Air, so I guess I'm an Air Witch."

All three of them hugged one another before they parted and went to their Carriages. Julian and Jack climbing into one that held three other girls.

Two brunette twins by the names of Peaches and Honey, each of whom had sharp black eyes and small slightly upturned button noses, and a large girl, no shorter than 5'6, with dark gold pig tails and a dark disposition.

Julian smiled at all of them and moved his hair over his shoulder so that he wouldn't sit on it, as he had a habit of doing.

"So, it's nice to meet everyone."

The twins nodded at the same time and the blonde just sighed and crossed her arms over her thick chest.

"Well…this is cozy…" Jack said, looking around the carriage and almost jumped for joy when the long line of carriages began to move smoothly.

o.o.o.o.o.o

The trip was silent with everyone sighing or shifting slightly here and there, but other than that, nothing disrupted their oppressive silence.

When the carriages finally stopped, Julian smiled and quickly got out, gasping when he looked up at the giant dove grey castle.

It had at least six wings and an indoor court yard and multiple garden patios stained glass windows and statues everywhere... It was beautiful and Julian smiled happily at Jack as they were lead in.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ok, what do you think? I like it…is it twisted enough? What should I change? Tell me, PLEASE! I know that all of you love me and I am so luck to have all of you and I'd like all of you to know that you really do keep me going from day to day.

Thank you all so much,

Your ever loyal Author,

Kathleen

Before we start chapter four, let clarify a few things… Julian is now going to cross dress... The potion Narcisa gave him was supposed to change him into a girl, but he didn't drink it.

Narcisa thinks she sent Julian to a fully muggle all girls school, but she didn't. The school, Holly Oak, has collected all the Muggle born girls that Hogwarts didn't catch and is training them to stop Dumbledore, who is planning to take over the muggle and Wizarding world.

Narcisa has sent Draco to Hogwarts in hopes of him following Dumbledore, but we all know he is smarter than that…we hope.

Ok, now that we have that cleared up, on with the story ^_^

From this point On, Harry/Julian will be referred to as 'he', although he has been turned into a girl, I can't write a basically straight story, it's not in my nature….

This IS a slash story, it WILL be a Harry/Julian Draco. It will take a few chapters to get there though.


	4. Twisted Chapter 4

Chapter 4

o.o.o.o.o.o

"Welcome to Holly Oak!" Said the regal looking older witch that had told them about their sorting, "Please come in and sit where you like, we do not divide our students at meal times."

Julian motioned for Morine to come and join them at a round table that could seat eight and they turned their attention to the woman again.

"Now, most of you are new, quite a few of you are returning and we are very pleased to see you as well. But we are going to explain a few things. Most of you are Muggle born witches from Wizarding enlightened parentage."

"As most of you know, the wizarding community uses wands and other tools to focus their power, not strong enough in spirit to channel their powers with out the magic of another for help. But here you will not be using such…inhibiting objects. Here you will learn to cultivate and expand your magical horizons."

"But for the moment, please, eat and mingle and enjoy your first night here at Holly Oak, and later tonight you will be escorted to your dorms and their you will find your class schedules."

With a snap of her fingers, food appeared on the tables and all the girls ooo'd and ahhh'd over the beautiful spreads.

Julian scanned over the spread and smiled as the proper ladies that had sat around him turned into wild animals and started attacking the food as if they had never been feed.

But being the Malfoy that he was, Julian just waited until it was safe to brave the carnage and quickly grabbed a few chicken legs and a baked potato.

"I never knew girls were so vicious…" He chuckled, calmly pealing open the perfectly warmed tin foil and poked at the potato with his fork.

Jack had the decency to look offended and tried to tell his new friend to go to hell, but the effect was dimmed by the fact that Jack had spaghetti sauce smeared on his cheek in such a way that made his skin glow bronze and her eye dance with black passion.

"You're an Amazon…" Julian breathed, in complete awe of the girl before him.

The dark haired girl nodded and sat up in a more dignified way befitting one of his kind.

"Yeah, I am…half Amazon actually. My mother was captured in the last battle against the Shlaremkkahar, and given to their leader. After three years of torture and neglect, I was the out come and when she found out, She over threw the man and ran back to her people in triumphant."

Jack's eyes were blazing with the pride by the end of her tail; Julian knew that Jack would be a great leader one day. Whether on or off the battlefield, Jack would fight with the strength of twenty men, or woman, and never give up until his dying breath.

"Then why do you want to be a man?" Morine asked as she took a sip of water and tilted her head.

"Because," Jack said, "My mom doesn't want me to be, and the fact that I don't like being a girl…I've never felt comfortable in my body." After a moment of silence she shrugged and went back to tearing into her chicken.

"Ah…that's so cool, my mom died when I was really young, so I never got to know her, and my father works for a really big law firm, so he is always working really hard on big cases…But my Nana always said that I'd do great things…" Said a little girl with big yellow eyes and flame red hair, she smiled a big smile and took a bite of her steamed fish.

Julian smiled and listened to the other girls tell what their parents did and was highly amused when Jack said that the person with the saddest past would get the last peanut butter chocolate chip caramel cookie.

That was all it took for the girls to pull out the sob stories, each trying to out do the other. Jack once again repeating her mother's imprisonment story, the blonde next to her telling the table about living with her grandmother that couldn't get her name right after six years.

Morine opted out of the 'game', because she had had a pretty good life, but still others came up with story after story full of angst.

One girl had told about her father who worked all the time, another brought up the fact that she didn't know her father and her mother was a hooker that had men in and out of the house all the time.

"She wins…" Jack declared, reaching for the cookie and making to pass it to the girl.

"Wait," Julian called softly, catching everyone's attention for the time since they had began to eat. "Would anyone care to hear my story?"

The other girls looked between themselves and then back to Julian taking in his perfectly cut clothing and his manicured nails.

"Ok…" Said a strawberry blonde with blue eyes and a blue choker.

Julian sat up straighter and took a breath. "My father was murdered by a man out for revenge against Voldermort's followers, his murderer was never punished, and after he died, my brother and I were left in the care of our neglectful mother who cares nothing for us and only wants to go to parties and dress in furs, and now, after eleven years of support and comfort, my mother rips the two of us apart and sends us to different schools with the words of, 'Don't come back until I call for you…'"

The table was silent as the girls looked between themselves again and then laughed as they handed the cookie to the Fire Witch with the seediest background.

"Nice try," they chuckled and joked with Julian, no one letting the story sink in, no one wanting to believe how such terrible things could happen to children.

o.o.o.o.o.o

"Come one girls, no one needs to dawdle…" called a short little chestnut haired witch from the front of the gaggle which followed her.

Julian and Jack giggled softly and quickened their pace, catching up with the other girls that were casting amazed looks at the moving pictures and talking statues.

"Now, this will be your dormitory…" Said the little witch, "The chokers around your necks will grant you entrance and help you greatly on your way to becoming the best witch you can be.

The door slid open and the tiny witch quickly motioned everyone in, counting each girl as they passed to make sure everyone was there and accounted for.

"Don't forget," She shouted over the excited murmurs and whispers. "Your schedules are on your beds and your things have been delivered accordingly."

"The next thing I want to address is that War Witches are trained differently than anyone else here. Be prepared for anything…" She smiled brightly and motioned to the stairs at the back of the room. "If you follow that stair way, you'll find your rooms. You won't be able to enter the older year's rooms. My name is Andrea, have a goodnight girls. Ask the older girls if you need anything."

With that she disappeared and the doorway was replaced with a cascade of water.

Julian glanced around at all of the muggle born girls and shook his head.

'This is sad,' he thought, 'they just leave all of these girls to be confused and frightened…'

Grabbing Jack hand, he easily made his way to what he was going to call the front of the assembly.

"Everyone, Listen up!" Julian called his voice raising just enough to command the attention of everyone in the room.

"Hello, My name is Julian, this handsome person next to me is Jack, from the looks of things, I going to assume all of you are first years as well…"

At the mass nodding of heads, Julian continued, his eyes darting over to the congregated group of older years who weren't doing a thing to help the new students.

"Alright then, I don't know what they were hoping to accomplish by not appointing any of the older girls that stand to our left, to explain things more adeptly, but here is what were going to do, Is anyone here of pure-blood descent? No, then I guess that leaves me."

He sighed and gestured to Jack who was looking over at him with just as much curiosity as every other girl in the room.

"Jack here is going to take you in groups of five to your rooms, just as soon as a few things are out of the way. Does anyone have any questions before we all split and go to bed?"

The silence that had descended upon the girls once they were alone immediately evaporated and the noise level rose wildly, all the girls shouting questions from all angles.

Julian nodded and rose one of his hands to halt the bombardment. Motioned for Jack to go scout out the bedrooms, He then set about answering questions.

"One at a time!," He said softly, his voice carrying in the, once again, quite room. "Alright…you," He said, pointing to a blonde girl on his right at random.

"Um…well, no matter how nice the head mistresses speech was, I can't help thinking, why us?"

Julian nodded at the obvious question and smiled as a few of the other girls nodded as well.

"Let's see, how do I explain this…. All of you were chosen because you have a gift." He finally said, after a good minuet of staring at the floor in silence.

"To be more accurate, all of you have an advantage over pure-blooded girls, You have the knowledge that you are witches, but at the same time, have lived in the muggle world most if not all of your life. Pure-bloods know nothing of the muggle world and of doing things without magic, you do. How many pure-bloods do you think know how to do Karate, or can flip on a light switch, look around, they are still using oil lamps for Merlin's sake."

Julian's smile brightened his clear grey eyes and set quite a few of the girls at ease.

"And what pure-blood would admit they had weaknesses? None that I know of, not even my brother likes to say he can't do something, and there are a lot of thing he can't do…"

After more laughter and more questions, some having easy answers and others having to be left unanswered, Julian noticed Jack's presence and turned to him.

"All clear, there are eight rooms with five beds a piece." Jack trialed off before he said anything damming and smiled, "So I think we have enough for everyone. I marked down the names. Here…" He said, handing Julian the list.

"Alright," The white haired boy said, turning back to the group and clearing his throat. "When I call your names, please step forward so that Jack can take you to your room. It would seem that Jack and I are in the top room, so if you should need us for anything, please come get us. The first group is, Kayla C. Bambi T. Lisa M. Heather F. and Venessia W."

o.o.o.o.o.o

"Goodness," Jack said, throwing himself onto his bed and tossing his arms over his eyes. "Sleep…" he moaned.

"I have the feeling when Andrea said, 'Be prepared for anything,' she meant it." Julian took of his shoes and lay on his back.

"I ready for it," Jack mumbled from the other side of the room. "Bring it on…" Julian laughed softly, nodding to the other three girls in the room, before he turned out the lamp by his bed and lay back.

o.o.o.o.o.o

It felt as if he had just closed his eyes when cymbals began to crash and sirens sounded, the noise beginning to move through out the halls.

"LADIES! Up, Up, Up! Move your Asses!" Cried the shrill voice of what Julian was sure was one of the older girls he'd heard at the table behind theirs at dinner the previous night.

"Move it! Move it!" They screamed, throwing doors open and thumps and screams were hear from various rooms.

"Get the feeling they aren't getting us up for cookies and ice cream?" Jack grumbled as he rolled out of bed and practically crawled over to his trunk.

Julian's only answer was a small moan as he slid out of the very comfortable bed and headed directly for the bathroom.

"Julian, Julian we don't have time for that! Juli- Oh hell," Jack called after her friend. "He didn't even take cloths with him…" she finished softly, surprised as hell a moment later when Julian stepped out of the bathroom looking as if he'd spent the past six hours working on himself.

"Are you ready?" He asked, tossing his perfectly brushed and braided hair over his shoulder.

"How did you…" Jack asked, pointing from the bathroom, to Julian, to the boy's trunk, and back again.

"Magic." Julian teased, actually being completely honest thanks to a few off the radar , no wand required, spells his nanny had taught him and his brother over the years. 'A Malfoy is never to look anything but their best.' she would say every morning from the age of seven.

"Whatever," Jack laughed, not believing her friend as they both pulled on shoes and left the room, joining the rest of the girls at the bottom of the stairs.

"Good morning ladies!" Andrea called, "Welcome to your first morning of War Witch Training!"

"Those words sound capitalized to you?" Jack whispered softly, causing a few girls around her to giggle.

"As you were informed last night, we train differently than the other houses. They get to sleep in, then go to a leisurely breakfast, then attend four classes with hour to two hour breaks in between. You do not get that option.

You get up early. You run. You eat breakfast. You run. You attend six classes back to back, where you will get homework in each and it will be done that night. You eat lunch in between class four and five and run after class six. Then you attend two more classes, these unlike the others focusing not on your magic, but fighting, both with and without swords. Then dinner. After dinner, you run. Then you are free to do as you please." The brunette laughed at the collective wide eyed looks and disbelieving glares. "We aren't slave drivers, we still want you to enjoy your school experience. I promise, these will be the best six years of your lives. I know what some of you are thinking. 'I didn't ask for this!', and you're right. You didn't. But your magic did, it asked for the strength to fulfill your destiny, whatever that maybe. And this house will give it to you."

The older girls nodded at those words and stood tall behind the dorm leader, each having been in these scared little girls places and each over coming their fears.

"Some of you may leave after sixth year, go on to fully magical schools and continue your magical education, and we encourage this. Others might not, and that's fine. But the friendships you form here, the lessons you learn, the things you experience, will help you on your path." After smiling around at the newest War Witches, Andrea commanded the girls out to the exercise yard.

The days were long and monotonous, each endless task blending into each other, each intensive lesson drilled into them. Some girls cried, so became aggressive in their tiredness, and yet others were to perky about their training, but Julian was honestly indifferent.

He ran his hardest every morning, excelled in his classes every afternoon, diligently did his homework every night, then wrote to his brother before he went to associate with the other girls in his house. But as the months passed and seasons changed, one year turning into another, Julian began to feel a pain in his heart over the fact that his brother, who had promised to write everyday, never did.

"Come on Jules, forget about it. You'll see him on holiday right?" Jack asked, referring to the month long holiday that was coming up for the schools summer break.

"But it's been a year, I'm worried about him." Julian replied softly as he reached out and shifted his rook into position to capture Jack's queen.

"It's not like Dumbledore is going to beat his feet or anything." She giggled, shifting her queen out of the line of fire. "At least not during the school year."

Julian nodded and shifted another piece. "Speaking of the holiday coming up, what are you planning on doing for it?"

"Me?" Jack asked, leaning back in her seat to think about it for a moment. "I guess I'll be going back to my village and help train the little ones. What about you?"

"The school is offering the option of staying during the duration. I am going to stay and relax." Julian replied smoothly, lowering his voice for what he had to say next. "I will be turning twelve soon and the body changes around that age, for everyone. I am worried about it. But to be honest mother doesn't want me back yet, so I'm going to stay here and teach myself to be more 'lady' like."

Jack laughed and nodded, sitting up to make her move. "Well you've already got the basics down. You draw and paint, you know basic gymnastics and ballet, you are always calm and poised, even after a three mile run. It's crazy."

"A Malfoy is always collected, in every situation." Julian teased his friend, shifting his own queen to put the tomboy into check.

"So what does this…'lady like' stuff include for you?" The girl asked, scowling down at the board.

"I'm not sure," Julian replied, pushing his bangs behind his ear. "I'll have to write my mother though…I'll need new cloths for the new year."

"Don't bother," Jack replied, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "My mom makes me tons of frilly crap in hops that one day I'll wear it. If nothing to dramatic happens to you over the break, I'll give them to you, you're smaller than me anyways."

"Let's hope…" Julian sighed, thinking about his already 5'3 frame. "If I'm unlucky and get as tall as my father I'll never pass for a girl, Merlin forbid I get his broad build either…"

Jack laughed softly and changed the subject when she saw the pain in her friend's eyes.

8888888888888

"Well…I guess this is goodbye." Jack said as she zipped her large bag and simply looked down at it, willing her tears away.

"Yeah," Julian whispered, looking away as well. "But it's only a few weeks if you think about it, and we'll see each other again soon."

The black haired girl nodded and in a very girly display, burst into tears and pulled her best friend into a tight hug.

Julian hugged her friend back and helped her take her bag down to the train platform again where they hugged once more.

The month passed slowly. Everyday Julian got up, wrote to his brother, then set out for a run before a quite breakfast with the other girls who had stayed behind for one reason or another. Then he would work on her holiday homework until an hour before lunch when he would go down to the stables that were normally only open on the weekends, and ride for an hours or so before lunch.

After that he would read or sometimes one could find him in the music room, another activity usually only offered on the weekends throughout the school year. He worked on fencing after dinner and went though simple ballet positions before bed.

All in all, Julian had a lovely break, lonely yes, his loneliness only broken by the weekly letter from Jack, but lovely none the less.

His birthday came and went and before he knew it, the school year was starting again.

He was made aware of it by Jack rushing into the room and leaping onto his bed, startling him out of a very sound sleep.

"Wake up! Wake up!" She cried, making sure to shake the once peaceful boy with each word. "I'm back!"

"I can tell…" Julian drawled, sounding very much like both his father and brother right then. "Now sod off."

"Oh that's not very lady like." Jack teased, shaking her friend again. "Come on, I have lots of things for you to try on!"

"Alright, alright, let me go get ready and I'll be right back." Julian grumbled, pushing the hyper girl off the bed before he got up and shuffled off to the bathroom, his hair sticking up in funny ways due to his early morning rough treatment.

"By the way," He called, his voice risen just enough to be heard clearly though the door. "Why are you the only one bursting in here?"

"Caught an early train," The girl replied, "Had to get away from my mom."

"Now that's strange," Julian replied, finally coming out of the bathroom looking ready for the day. "Now don't think I'm weird, but aren't Amazon women supposed to be all…'Woman power and men are weak'?"

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "But apparently if you kick a guys' ass in high heels you get extra points or something…"

They both laughed at that and Julian smoothed back his blankets before he joined his friend on his bed.

"Alright, show me." He said, motioning to the pile of bags in the middle of the floor.

Jack quickly scurried over to the bags and began to show Julian each outfit. Some were bought, most were hand made, but all were good quality and beautiful to boot.

"Being amazon, my mom has a thing for animal skins, I hope you don't mind…" Jack said as she began to pull out dear skin skirts and dresses, simple in their design, but each piece holding an inner beauty.

"How lovely." Julian replied, pulling one of the skirts closer for inspection.

"Yeah, each everything is made to fight in, so that's always a plus. Luckily, she also made some pants, so I get to keep those."

The children laughed and exchanged stories of their summer, telling about things they hadn't been able to write about for various reasons and sharing answers on homework and Jack admittedly wasn't close to finishing.

"Madam Jirrie isn't going to be happy with you." Julian said as he helped fold and put away all of the clothing both he and Jack were sure would fit him.

"When is that old icicle ever happy?" Jack replied, shoving the last shirt into her trunk.

"Point. Well…It wouldn't hurt to go to the library today. You can finish your homework and I can continue studying my spells."

"Spells?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow at the white haired boy. "But we don't learn spell work here."

"No," Julian agreed, motioning for his friend to hurry up. "But when we continue our education after sixth year, we will. Wouldn't want to flounder in our classes now would we?"

"You're actually going to go to another school after this?" Jack asked as she gathered half finished paper after half fished paper into her arms.

"Sure, remember that I come from a Pure Blooded wizarding family and will live in the wizarding world after my education is complete. Spell work is necessary for that." Julian replied, picking up a book he'd been reading on useful charms for the everyday. "This school might not teach the material, but that doesn't mean it doesn't supply that books for one to learn on their own time."

Jack just laughed at her ambitious friend and together they made their way to the library were they smiled and sat with the only other girl currently in the room.

"Hey Kelly." Julian whispered softly, opening his book to the page about summoning and banishing charms.

The little black haired girl squeaked a 'hello' back and shoved her face back into the book she was reading. At Jack's confused look Julian shook his head and mouthed, 'Shy', to which Jack nodded and begrudgingly set about doing her homework.

"Accio book," Julian whispered, eyeing a particularly heavy book with a clear path to where he was sitting. "Accio book," He whispered again, willing the book to move even an inch, which is steadfastly refused to do. This continued for another hour, much to the irritation of not only the spell caster, but each girl on either side of him.

"Julian give it up!" Jack finally shouted, slamming her hands down on either side of the work sheet she was filling out.

"No!" Julian shouted back, standing in his anger. "I can do this spell, I know I can, it's simple!"

"It's meant for fourth year students that actually study focused magic!" Jack shouted back, slamming the book Julian had been reading closed to show him that yes, the book was a higher level then they were, even if they had been learning magic with wands. "And from what I've heard very few magic users can actually do wandless spell work! No stop, you are disturbing me, I only have until tomorrow to finish fourteen assignments."

Julian turned a dark glare at the book, ignoring the Librarian who had bustled over to calm them, down and who was now agreeing with what Jack had just screamed.

"Accio Book!" Julian growled, daring the book to refuse her and to her surprise, as well as everyone else's, the book finally listened.

A scream and a very resounding thud were the only sounds made in the library as the leather bound one thousand eight hundred and twelve page book slammed into the tiny white haired boy's stomach, throwing him back a good three feet where he currently lay winded.

"Ow…" He whined, pushing the book off of his body so he could breathe properly.

"Oh my god, Julian!" Jack cried, rushing to his side to help him sit up. "Are you ok?"

"I think I bruised something," The boy replied, placing a hand on his waist to check. "Nothing's broken at least."

"I can't believe you actually did it." Jack laughed, hugging her friend despite his protests of pain. "Oh my god!"

The librarian stared at the two on the floor before she used a swirl of air to lift the book back on the table.

"You're lucky," The woman lectured, still a bit stunned at the display of power. "If this book would've been destroyed due to your unruly behavior I would've had to tell the Head Mistress."

"I promise you Ms. Maura, I'd have replaced it had I actually won that fight." Julian replied, standing with a groan, his hand still holding his ribs which he hadn't been joking about bruising.

The woman huffed off, mumbling about smart mouthed girls and something else Julian couldn't quite catch.

"I think I've had enough for the day," He said with a wince as he stood up straight and smoothed his hair down to make himself more presentable.

"I'm surprised your glasses stayed on." Jack laughed pushing the afore mentioned spectacles further up the boy's nose.

Julian only nodded, smiling at both girls and giving Jack a stern warning about completing her work before he made his way back to his dorm and gave into his urge to sob like a baby.

Dinner came and went, a grand affair were all the girls who had been away gathered to chatter and laugh with missed friends. Julian and Jack listened to Morine talk about the trip to Paris her family had taken and about all the cute boys she'd met before they related their bland adventures as well.

"Sometimes I wish I've been put in the same house as the both of you." Morine sighed, poking at her yam absently. "I like the other girls in my house, don't get me wrong, but they don't include me to much, I feel just as left out as I did on the train until I met you two."

Julian smiled and took one of the strawberry blonde's hands, Jack taking the other one. "Trust me," He said with a gentle smile. "You'll make more friends, just continue to be your sweet self and people are bound to flock to you."

Morine smiled at the two and nodded, giggling as she said, "I feel like I just got advice from a prince and princess."

Julian and Jack looked at one another grinning and once dinner was over Jack stood and gallantly, in offered her hand to her friend. "Dearest Princess." She said with a wink.

"Oh Good Prince." Julian replied, accepting the offered hand, elegantly raising from his seat.

"Oh stop," Morine giggled, hugging her friends good night as the call for all new students was given. "You two are such hams!"

The two war witches didn't stop the joke until they made it back to their dorms and saw a whole slew of brand new girls standing around in a huddle not knowing what to do, the older girls not moving to help.

"I'll go check the rooms," Jack said heading past the group to the rooms that had once belonged to her and the other second year girls.

For his part, Julian gave a disappointed scowl at the older girls, most of whom looked away out of guilt for not helping the new students.

Julian welcomed the girls and gave them all warm smiles, answering questions that he could and making sure they knew rules that hadn't been explained to him or the other second year girls when they'd arrived, all of them having found them out the hard and usually detention filled way.

Jack returned after a few minuets and once the rules had been explained, Julian gave them a warning to be prepared for any and everything before he called off their names and the girls shuffled off to bed.

"I wonder if all houses are as cruel to their first year students." Julian asked aloud, the other girls in her new dorm shrugging, adding their own thoughts for a moment before they turned the lights out and everyone fell asleep.

Unlike the previous year, when the sixth year girls had moved through the lower levels with various loud and annoying musical instruments to wake the girls up, this year Julian was awoken to a very cold down pour of water over his warm bed.

His voice joined a multitude of others as screams of shock and cussing reverberated off the walls all over the dormitory.

"The Fuck!?" Came Jacks' very vocal cry of outrage, the poor sixth year who'd dared to pour water over her getting punched square in the jaw.

Julian laughed as other two sixth year girls who'd stuck around to see their handy work each came to equally violent ends.

"God Damn," Peaches grumbled as she flung her covers off and stormed into the bathroom, her sister Honey slamming the door behind the both of them.

Julian had laughed quietly to himself the past year when he'd read off the assigned names and realized that he would be rooming with the two moody twins he'd ridden with in the carriages, the blonde having been assigned to another room.

"Well looks like you won't get to disappear and work your 'magic' today." Jack teased, pulling herself out of bed and throwing off her cloths, uncaring of the other two people in the room.

Julian smiled and turned to the full length mirror that was placed on the other side of the bathroom door. With a wave of his hands, his reflection turned and Julian began to move his hands as if he were brushing someone's hair, then once he was finished, he separated the 'hair' and quickly braided it, tying it off before he shifted his hands and the reflection turned around again.

Jack watched in awe as everything her friend motioned doing to the reflection, actually happened and in turn happened to her friend. It was amazing watching the boy brush his teeth with no water and for them to actually be clean, for his reflection move out of sight only to return dressed in something new and wrinkle free, then to look at the white haired boy and see him dressed the exact same way, it really was magic.

"Wow…" Jack breathed, moving over to tug on the new clothing, the fantastic knowledge that her friend hadn't moved making this all the more amazing.

Julian laughed and batted her friends hands away. "We've made water turn to ice with a single touch, and this impresses you?"

Jack had the decency to blush before she quickly finished dressing, all of the now dry and clean girls, plus Julian, making their way out to the exercise field, each girl either glaring of giving dark smirks to the set of unlucky girls that had been sent to wake them up.

The months passed, Christmas came and went with a lot of cookie giving and homemade gifts, followed by Valentines day where a lot of the girls joked around and made sure to give valentines to all of their friends so nothing could be said about a single card or gift.

Most girls that is, but Jack. She dressed in her best dear skin shirt and pants combination, making sure her hair was styled just so that cool Saturday afternoon and at lunch, in front of God and everyone, got down on one knee and offered Julian a single rose, asking for her princess to be her valentine, which Julian graciously accepted and agreed to.

Both knew it was a joke, Morine got one hell of a kick out of it seeing as she got two boxes of chocolate out of the deal because she was the one that had made Jack 'see the light' as it were.

Summer holidays came and went once more, summer turned to fall, Christmas passed again, and on and on it went.

Julian never did change all that much, around his thirteenth birthday he grew a single inch and that's were he'd stopped. Not that he cared to much, still passing himself as a girl and finding that with each passing year he grew to like it more and more. But he still felt short, Jack having hit 5'10 by her fifteenth birthday, a fact that only made their running 'Prince and Princess' routine all the more funny.

His voice hadn't changed that much either, but now instead of a high pitched boy's voice, he had settled into a smoothly rich, deep alto, the kind of voice a blues singer prayed to have. His hair was much longer, the end of his braid tickling the backs of his calves when he walked, but other than that, he was the same old Julian he'd always been and now, as he accepted his diploma, finally having graduated after all of these years, he was surprised to find himself crying just like all of the other girls he'd made such good friends with.

"I'm going to miss you guys so much!" He cried, his voice mingling with the other graduating witches as they all hugged and girls he'd never even met hugged him and wailed over writing ever chance they got.

Jack, Julian, and Morine boarded the train and settled in the same compartment they'd arrived in all those years ago.

"This is crazy…" Julian murmured, looking at the other two girls. "We should be all smiles, we finally graduated."

The other two girls nodded, each lost in their own worlds. Julian sighed and leaned against his prince who wrapped and arm around him and leaned over to kiss the top of Morines' head.

Julian had to laugh at the two, the girls having fallen into the strangest relationship together, both secretly meeting at nights while Jack showered Julian with compliments and a gift here or there, always bring a special gift for Morine as well.

He never did figure out why the two never just made out with one another at dinner one night, but oh well.

The three stood on the platform once they'd gotten off the train, each calling their parents over and making some shocking and not so shocking introductions. Julian's being the least shocking, he was sure. Outrage was expressed, the same conversation happening with quite a few other parents around the platform, but Jack just rose her eyebrow and sent her mother an icy scowl, a trait she'd picked up from Julian himself.

"Mother, if you hadn't wanted me to be a lesbian you shouldn't have sent me to an all girls school." She said, her statement loud enough to be heard by quite a few of the arguing families, most of whom stopped and actually considered that.

It was during this lull in conversation that two men in pressed grey uniforms and shiny black boots approached Julian's little cluster.

"Excuse us," The older of the two men said, bowing to the group when their attention was turned to them. "Master Malfoy, it is time for us to depart."

Julian nodded at the two men and turned back to his friends. "Well, it looks as if my ride is here."

Both girls nodded and after a few moments of heated discussion, insisted on escorting their princess to her carriage.

The younger of the two men gathered Julian's luggage onto the trolley that had appeared at his side while the older man lead the way to a very large stretch limousine, opening the back door as they approached.

"Young master." He said, making a slight bow to the boy.

"Thank you Richard." Julian said as he turned back to his friends.

"Man, you weren't kidding when you said you had bank." Jack said, only to be elbowed by both her mother and her girlfriend.

Mornies' father, a small, half balding man who owned a tiny cake shop on the edge of Diagon Alley, stuttered over the last name and looked as if he would pass out. And despite the fact that he'd already introduced himself to the ice blonde before him, he move his daughter gently and grabbed the boy's delicate hand, shaking it furiously.

"Hi, Hello, I'm Thackeray Lizzy, I own a small cake shop and would love it if you stopped buy, I'll give you the first slice for free!" He rushed, still shaking the boys hand vigorously.

Julian blushed and was very grateful when Morine and her mother pried the man away from him. "Darling, you've already said all that." He wife said, holding him back from going over to shake the poor blonde's hand again. "Although the first time you did it, it was slightly saner."

The little man blinked at his wife before blushing beat red at the fact that he had. Julian waved off his apology and promised to visit with her brother as soon as she could.

The three friends hugged again and waved goodbye with honest promises of staying in touch before Julian slid into the waiting car and tiredly flopped himself over to lay on the seat in a very un-Malory like manner.

"It's good to have you back with us." Richard said through the intercom system. "We have missed you terribly."

"It's good to be home," Julian replied, shifting uncomfortably, finally reaching a hand under the seat cushion and drew out a small vile filled with congealed black liquid.

"Oh gross…" He murmured to himself, throwing the vile out the window before he pressed the intercom button again. "Richard, is my brother home?" He asked, unsure of the answer he was hoping for.

"No young sir. He is vacationing in India for the summer, but will return home before the next school year." He replied, unaware of the saddened sag of the boy's shoulders.

"Thank you." Julian replied, closing his eyes with a sigh and quickly falling asleep.

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Chapter 4 done ^^ Lol The more I write, the more I love this story….That's just me though. Review and tell me what you think.

Yours,

Kat


	5. Twisted Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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Hours later the car finally stopped and Julian was gently shaken awake by Richards wrinkled hand, a hand that hadn't been so wrinkled six years prior.

"We are home young sir," He said in response as to why he was waking the boy.

Julian nodded and quickly righted himself, tugging at the soft, knee length dear skin skirt he wore in coordination with a beautiful cream blouse, matching three inch peep toed pumps and pearl earrings setting off the outfit beautifully.

The only piece that didn't really match was the black choker with the black silver wrapped Onyx, which was now six smaller silver wrapped onyxes, all connected with delicate silver chains, instead of one. The smaller onyx ovals to symbolize they years of attendance at Holly Oak, and the looped chain to show they he'd graduated. But whether it was the wrong thing to wear with this outfit, or any outfit for that matter, Julian didn't really care. He thought it gave the outfit character.

No one but the staff was there to greet him, Richard commenting on his mothers extended stay in Paris being the reason. But Julian just smiled and thank everyone, stating that he was very pleased to be home as he directed his things to be taken to his room and for tea to be served in the parlor.

Being Sixteen and now one of the two heirs legally in charge of the estate and it's financial holdings, Julian's first order of business was to go to Gringotts, but he would do that tomorrow, today he would simply relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the manor.

The next morning it dawned on Julian that someone was missing from his welcome gathering yesterday, and was now missing from his room now. Snapping his fingers, he summoned one of the house elves and politely asked where Bethie was, to which the little shaking creature replied that she had been fired years ago.

Julian felt like screaming and destroying things, but rather than get angry at the small being in front of him he simply thanked it and set about getting dressed.

He laughed at the pink lacey underwear set he pulled out of his top drawer like he always did. Jack had really pulled a fast one on him when she'd given them to him for Christmas.

It had been Christmas of their fourth year and to be honest, her giggles when she handed him the present at breakfast should have given him a clue not to open the gift, but seeing as it was from his prince, he graciously opened it, but when they first words out of his mouth where a very loud, very shocked, 'You got me underwear!?', he really wished he'd have waited.

Luckily the underwear was from mail order from a specialty store that carried novelty wizard toys and apparel for the bedroom, so the panties magically hid certain male parts when wore while the bra magically enhanced what would be there if there wearer were actually female.

It was a great gift that he had gotten many other colors for over the next two years, and planned to continue getting.

After sliding on the underwear, Julian pulled on a tight pair of silk looking spandex-like pants and a light blue sleeveless, deep v-necked shirt that went to his hip and had panels of fabric that fell from hip to ankle. The bottom was very Chinese in design, Jack's mother having bought it in hops that Jack would wear it due to the fact that pants could be worn with it, But Jack still deemed it to girly, so it was passed to Julian.

The young cross dresser added lace up arm bracers and figured he would style his hair properly after his meeting at Gringotts, which he was about to be late for.

Promising himself he would do his make-up later, Julian grabbed a large over robe that he would banish home later, his purse, he rushed down to the floo room and tossed a handful of green sand into the flames calling out his destination clearly as he entered said flames.

The meeting went well, the goblins taking a drop of blood to confirm he was indeed who he claimed to be before turning the drop of blood into a key that would access seven of the eight family vaults, one his personal vault and the other six belonging to the Malfoy family, asking that he please send his brother into do the same.

Julian thanked the helpful creatures and asked that his mothers key please be terminated and that any and all of her direct access stamps as well as her credit limits in the Malfoy family name be terminated immediately.

The goblin nodded and asked if he would like all of her loans and previously spent credits to be assigned to her personal account as well, to which he nodded once the grayish thing hesitated in showing him the amount, not actually brave enough to say it aloud.

That done and nothing else business wise that couldn't be done via owl, Julian made his way to bathroom and banished the unflattering robes that, while making him look like a him again, didn't feel quite right anymore. He also canceled the transfiguration he'd done on his spaghetti strap stilettos and did his hair in two beautiful buns on either side of his head that he covered in black bun covers, leaving the rest of his hair to fall from the bun covers like pig tails.

Next he did his make-up, a skill that had taken several years and a lot of different witches to teach him. But finally he'd got it and could now apply liquid eyeliner in a moving carriage as if he were born doing it.

"Beautiful!" The mirror cried once he'd finished and put everything back in the depths of his purse. "Thank you." He replied, winking at the mirror, who giggled, before he left and went shopping for the day.

Once he returned home he was surprised to hear both male and female voices screaming at one another each trying to be louder than the other.

Following the heated shouting match to the entrance way, Julian was shocked to find two very angry blondes, one male, one female, screaming at one another while various other people stood around and glared at one another.

"…Can't believe you would cancel the credit limit that YOU gave me!" The male screamed, swiftly followed by the female's loud. "Me?! You did it you little twit, as well as canceling everything else of mine! What you think just because you are the legal heir now that your poor mother doesn't deserve a knut?"

The male shouted back that he hadn't done anything, that he'd been kicked out of his hotel and had to come home because it seemed his given stamp was worthless, to which the female replied that she hadn't done it.

"Well if you didn't do it Mother, who the hell did?!" The male shouted back, the volume of his voice sending the woman back a step.

"That would be me." Julian said, finally making his presence known as he moved further into the large hall way, his heals making a slow and deliberate clicking noise against the marble floor.

"And just who are you?" Both blondes replied, each looking at the other because of the unintentional act, before they both looked back at the virtual stranger before them.

"I'm surprised you don't remember your own child, Narsissa." Julian replied, smiling over at the butler who came to take his bags from him.

"Thank you Nathan." He said, motioning to the rest of his purchases that were still in the floo room.

"Ludicrous!" Narsissa shouted, scowling at the person before her.

"Don't Lie!" Draco shouted at the same time, his voice eclipsing his mothers, in volume and emotion that he quickly reigned in. "My brother died while away at school."

Julian blinked at stared at the two blondes before him.

"I died?" He asked slowly, shifting his gaze from his brother to his mother. "I died?" He asked again.

To her credit, Narsissa did have the consideration to look away from the shocked and angry look being sent her way.

"I. Died?" Julian shouted, at the woman who finally turned a glare of her own at the boy.

"Well that's what I heard!" She lied quickly, all of her acting skills being put to the test as she burst into fake sobs and covered her face with her hands, he friends immediately crowding around her and cooing at her to calm her down.

"Oh please…" Julian mumbled in disgust, having lived amongst nothing but women for the last six year to know real tears from fake ones.

Draco on the other had didn't yell or cry or do anything really. He just stared at the small being before him claiming to be his brother. She did resemble his brother, the eyes and hair was the same, but anyone could have magically changed themselves to look like that. He was pulled out of his perusal of the female's very nice body, which was defiantly not male, when the girl began talking again.

"God, would you stop those crocodile tears?" He asked, and when the blonde woman only sobbed louder about how her dead child was back from the dead, the boy rolled his eyes and headed for the stairs to his left.

Draco quickly told his friends that he would call them later and after he'd sorted everything out they'd do something together, before he followed the interesting person up the stairs, his mother being lead into the parlor by her french whispering gaggle.

By the time he reached he brother's old room, which is where he figured the person was staying as they were claiming to be who they were, the door was closed and upon inspection, he found hi locked as well. So being the polite person he was, he knocked. And knocked. And knocked. Until he finally yelled though the door that he wanted to talk, then he yelled that if he wasn't let into a room of his own house he would break the door down, and when he heard light laughter at that, but still wasn't let in, he began 'knocking' again and didn't stop until his hands hurt, which he promptly began to whine about, and then and only after the whining, is when the door opened.

"You are so annoying." Julian said with a roll of his eyes as he sauntered back into his room and sat back down on his bed. "I don't remember you being that annoying."

Draco entered and quietly shut the door after him, turning back to stare at the blonde haired girl on the white and gold colored bed.

"Well don't just stand there, you're making me nervous. Sit somewhere." The girl commanded and despite his irritating at being told what to do, he immediately looked for a place to sit.

"There isn't anywhere." Draco replied, noting that all of the available chairs were covered and surrounded by tons of bags.

"There's the floor." Julian replied, looking up at the white and black blur of his brother over the top of his glasses.

"Malfoy's do not sit on floors!" Draco replied, offended at the mere thought of sitting of sitting on a floor, let alone the suggestion that he actually do it.

"Goodness, when did you become such a priss?" Julian asked, pushing his glasses up to look around the room. "There are to perfectly good chairs over there, I'm sure if you try you can lift the bags off of them and either leave them there and sit or move them, or do Malfoy's not lift their fingers to do anything either? Did I miss that one in the rule book?"

The short haired blonde scowled and stormed over to on of the chairs, tipping it forwards, so that all of the bags crashed to the floor, and brought the chair over so that he could see the person on the bed.

"Happy?" He asked, sitting on the uncomfortable chair with a glare.

"Thrilled." Julian drawled, glancing over at the bags that were now seeping various colors of ink all over the carpet.

"Now tell me, why do you claim that you're my brother?" Draco asked, pushing aside the heart wrenching pain at the mere mention of his brother.

"Why do you claim I'm not?" Julian replied, pulling one knee up to his chest to rest his head on it.

"Other than the fact that he…died. You are quite obviously female and while Julian my have been many things, a girl he wasn't." Draco said, looking very pointedly at the 'girls' breast.

"They aren't real." Julian replied, sitting up as he began to undo the buttons that held his shirt closed.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked watching the girl undress which was doing so wild things to his body.

"Showing you." Julian replied, being more focused on his shirt than he was on his brother, so he didn't notice the reaction.

Once he'd gotten the shirt off he slid his hands behind his back and undid the bra hooks, the breast immediately disappearing.

"See?" He said, once more looking male. "The aren't real. It's a complex glamour spell. They look real and feel real and I'm sure they smell real too, although I never asked anyone if I could smell their breast to find out…"

Draco reached out and took the bra, that was held out to him for inspection, laughing at the boy's joke.

"And, the other part?" He asked, glancing his eyes down quickly, then back up.

Julian actually blushed at that and pulled his shirt back up to cover himself, feeling oddly exposed in front of his brother.

"Same thing," He replied softly, taking his bra back. "Only instead of adding, it subtracts."

Both boys sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts before Draco stood, took two steps, and pulled the other boy into his arms.

Julian blinked at the sudden action, but wrapped his own arms around his brothers' larger, more solid frame and hugged back.

"I didn't know what to do with myself when mother's owl arrived two months into school. I felt like I couldn't breathe and that my world would never stop spinning before my eyes. I honestly think I slept for a week, didn't eat for two, and lost my will to live for years." The larger blonde whispered into the white hair beneath his lips, as if anything louder than a whisper would make him wake up from this dream he was sure he was having.

"I guess I never bothered to question it, but then, what eleven year old would? But now you back and I don't know why, but all I can ask, is that even if you really aren't my brother, even if you are lying though you teeth and plan on stealing up blind, please don't get my hopes up only to leave me. I couldn't handle it. My soul couldn't handle it. I honestly don't think it survived the first time." He continued to whisper, his arms tightening.

"I'm not going anywhere." Julian replied, pulling his brother to sit on the bed so that they were both more comfortable. "Did you never get my letters? I wrote you everyday, I never stopped."

Draco just shook his head and listened as the small blonde in his arms began to tell the highly edited version of his school life.

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After that day both boys began to get to know one another again. Draco would sit and listen to Julian play the piano or harp or any other instrument he felt like playing that day. And Julian would watch as her brother would play quiditch.

They played chess together at night and before bed they would sit together and read, sometimes from the same book, but most times not. Draco reading books on quiditch strategy and Julian preferring a large variety of different topics.

Draco talked endlessly about things he'd done at school all ranging from the wonderfully perfect potion he'd done in his first year, to pranks he'd played on other houses, all of which Julian would smile and laugh, sometimes adding in a clap or two for good measure, while he continued to do this activity or that. Draco usually telling the more outlandish stories to get his brothers attention which he seemed to be craving more and more as the summer went on.

But soon the hot summer days began to cool and one pleasant afternoon found the two siblings resting under a tree where they'd just finished lunch and Julian was now reading quietly with his head on his brother's lap while Draco played with his long hair that spilled around them like milk.

"I'm going to miss you." He murmured softly, looking out across the gentle hills of wild flowers that surrounded them.

"Why is that?" Julian asked, laying the open book down across his chest so he could give his brother his full attention.

"I'll be going back to school soon. And you'll be going off to your new school as well. We'll be parted again…" Draco replied, looking down into Julian's beautiful grey eyes.

"But didn't I tell you? Dumbledore was thrilled to accept my application, even though it said I was going to a muggle school until now. I think he's just happy to get another Malfoy under his rule, for however short a time it may be." Julian said, as innocently as if he were commenting on the weather, although the mischievous twinkle gave him away.

"You little sneak!" Draco gasped, quickly moving his hands to tickle the blonde as punishment. "When were you going to tell me?"

Julian laughed and rolled this way and that to try and avoid his brothers merciless fingers. "I…I was thinking about just following you one the train and forgetting to get off!" He shouted between giggles, his chest heaving from the exertion of laughing so hard.

Draco finally relented, smiling down at the panting boy. "So what house do you want to be in? I got put in Slytherin you know, best house there is. Father was a Slytherin."

Julian laughed and nodded thinking it over as he did. "I really don't care. It's not like they'll turn into my closest friends or anything…"

Draco nodded as they both got lost in their thoughts, Julian resting peacefully on Draco's lap as the slightly older boy stroked a gentle hand over his forehead.

"I always did wonder how you got this scar…" Draco whispered, tracing the lightening bolt shaped scar that he could feel but not see due to a magical concealer that really did everything that a muggle concealer promised to do.

"Yeah, me too." Julian whispered back, falling asleep soon after that and feeling so safe, never noticed when his brother easily lifted his very slight weight and carried him all the way home to lay him in his own bed.

Before either knew it, it was September first and both boys were up early, early for Draco anyways, making sure that everything was packed properly and were eating a nice breakfast before their mother stormed into the room.

"What is this I hear about you going to Hogwarts?" She screeched, glaring daggers at the younger of the two boys at the table who calmly continued to eat as if she wasn't huffing and puffing about to blow the house down.

"That's rather old news mother, I'm surprised at you." He replied, flipping a page of the newspaper that was open beside him.

"And what about me?" She asked, putting her skeletal hands on her narrow hips.

"What about you?" Julian drawled, looking up from his omelet to look at the woman for the first time since she'd burst into the room.

"Seeing as you've reduced me to asking Draco for money every time I want to go out and he is leaving, What am I going to do for money?" She demanded, scowling at the boy that was to much like his father for his own good.

"We are leaving you with seven thousand pounds, I had it transferred into muggle money just incase you wanted to go into London or something." The small blonde replied, closing the paper and folding in neatly in half before he continued. "Seeing as everything is already paid for in the house, meaning water and heat and all that, and there is plenty to do here on the grounds, I'm sure that amount should last until we return for winter holidays."

"My shoes cost more than what you're leaving me!" She shouted, turning her look on her other son who was steadily ignoring the entire conversation, or trying to at least.

"Then you are just going to have to curve that unhealthy spending habit, aren't you?"

"The Weasley's make more than seven thousand pounds in a month!" She raged.

"Well I don't know what a 'Weasley' is," Julian replied, ignoring his brother's snort of laughter. "But I'm sure that if you are mentioning them and money in the same sentence, that just isn't true."

"He's right mum," Draco said, finally adding his two cents to the argument. "We both know they make way less than that."

Narsissa could believe that her own son was turning traitor on her, and all due to that nasty thing that had just appeared in her life one day and never left.

"I should've killed you when I had the chance!" She screamed, stomping out of the room and slamming the door with a flick of her wand.

All was silent as both boys listened to the raging banshee make her way up to her room, slamming doors here and there to show her displeasure with the world.

"She's your mother." Julian said after a moment, going back to his paper as he sipped his tea, as if her were talking about an unruly child or pet instead of a fully grown witch that just happened to be their mother.

"You're the one who made her mad, I don't see why you won't leave her just a few thousand more." Draco replied, sipping at his own tea as he turned back to his quiditch magazine.

"I'm telling you Draco, if you'd have been with me the day I went to change everything over to our names, and seen the look of the goblin who didn't even want to show me the amount she'd charged on the family name, not spent mind you, but charged, you'd understand." After another sip he continued. "She needs to learn to live within her means."

"But her means are much more than seven thousand pounds." Draco countered, looking up from the glossy moving pages once more.

"No," Julian replied, looking up as well. "Our means are much more than seven thousand pounds. Hers barely float above poverty because of all the money she owns various places all over Europe. She's lucky I'm not making her pay for the servants as well, seeing as she'll be using them and not us."

"When did you turn so cold hearted to her?" Draco asked, blinking in surprise at the ugly tone he heard in his sweet brother's voice.

"I think I lost all love for her when I realized that she'd spent away our future. Or better, your future seeing as I was thought dead by you. I was only going to freeze her spending until we could all sit down and work out a plan, but…what she'd done, uncaringly. It was to much." Julian replied, reaching out to squeeze his brother's hand before he stood.

"Are you done?" He asked, motioning to the blonde's empty plate.

Draco nodded and stood as well, closing his magazine to read later as he motioned for the younger boy to go ahead of him.

Both boys climbed into the car and it seemed as if in no time, they were standing before platform nine and three quarters.

"Ok, so how does this work?" Julian asked, looking over at his brother who was looking around for their luggage.

"I knew we should've brought Richard with us," Draco mumbled realizing that the poor bloke must have gotten lost amongst the muggles. "Don't move," He said with a gentle smile. "I'm going to find Craig."

Julian nodded and continued to look up at the platform sign, then at the solid wall that Draco swore was the entrance.

"I swear if he's lying to me…" Julian breathed, feeling more and more awkward as time went by, good thing they'd arrived early.

"First year dear?" A robust voice asked from somewhere behind him and just to his right.

"Excuse me?" He asked, turning to take in the cluster of red heads behind him. 'Well there's a sight you don't see every day…' He thought looking them over and noting the patched together and generation to generation clothing as well as the falling apart trunks and other suck luggage.

"Asked if you were a first year," The older woman replied, looking him up and down and obviously taking him for the girl her looked like. "Though you are a mite tall for an eleven year old girl…"

Julian gave the woman a coolly polite smile, finding no reason to be rude to her as of yet, and she had said he was tall, which was a first.

"Thank you," He replied. "And no, I'm not a first year, I-"

"Oh! Muggle family then, get separated did you?" She asked, reaching out to smack one of the two of her identical boys for something they were about to do.

"Not quite you see-" He tried again, only to be cut off once more, this time it was by the third red headed male, who didn't look happy to just be standing around and chatting, but Julian figured he might also be sick due to the redness that was continually making him turn various shades, some quite un healthy for a human.

"Well then why are you just standing here blocking traffic?"

"Maybe it's because he was waiting for someone."

Julian had never been so pleased to head his brother's voice before in his life, it didn't matter that it was the stuck up tone that he hated so much.

"Draco," He breathed moving over to the other blondes' side. "What took you so long?"

"Craig was all the way down on platform twenty, Merlin only knows why." Draco replied, looking over at the young chauffer who looked down at the trolley sheepishly.

"She your girlfriend, Malfoy?" The rude third male, who's name he still hadn't got, sneered at the two of them, or tried to at least. "Come to kiss you good bye?"

Draco tensed, but held himself back from the verbal match he knew would come much later so that he could introduce the blonde at his side and knock one Ronald Weasley down a few pegs on his step ladder of life.

"No actually, 'She' happens to be my brother, Julian. Julian, these are the Weasleys Mother made mention of earlier. This morning." He said haughtily.

"Brother?" The boy squeaked, each having been entertaining their own dirty thoughts staring who they had previously thought to be a girl. Now while the Twins didn't mind and looked at each other before grinning and continuing to stare at the pretty cross dresser, their younger brother was another story.

"That's a disgusting joke Malfoy, and not a funny one at that." He said, glaring at both of the blondes now.

"Who's joking?" Julian asked with a raise of one perfectly sculpted brow.

"That's right, who's joking?" Draco laughed, wrapping an arm around his brothers shoulders. "I must say though, he makes a much better looking girl than yours does."

"That's sick," The boy breathed, ignoring his mother's shocked, 'Ronald Weasley!'. "You must be some kind of pervert to look that way…"

Julian glared, contemplating hitting the irritating red head, before he simply tossed his hair over his shoulder and haughtily walked though the barrier between platforms nine and ten, waiting only a pause for Draco to catch up before they both settled on the train in an empty compartment, each waving good bye to Craig who smiled and happily waved back before he disappeared again.

"Chipper…" Julian said, in response to the young chauffer's excited departure.

"That's one way of saying it…" Draco laughed, each silently agreeing to not talk about what had happened with the Weasley's.

The first few minutes of the train ride were wonderfully pleasant, quite and calm seeing as Draco had put a silencing charm on the door so the sounds of the outside world would stay just that. Unfortunately this also had the reverse effect of not being able to know when someone was approaching until the door was already open.

"Draco Darling!" A tall black haired girl with a slightly upturned nose that reminded Julian of a pug squealed as she bounded into the room and threw herself into the blondes' thankfully Julian free lap seeing as the small blonde had sat up the moment sound erupted into their cabin.

The dark haired girl was followed by two solid brick walls masquerading as human males and a good looking brunette with glittering green eyes and a smile that named him for the man whore he was.

Quick introductions were made, this time without the shock of finding out Julian's actual gender, Julian was sure that that was only due to the fact that no one could really hear anything over the dark haired girl squawking loudly about her summer and everything she'd done, even though, according to her story, she was with Draco most of the time.

The dark haired girl look up from her very provocative position on the blonde's lap and looked around the cabin.

"Looks like there aren't enough seats for everyone…" She commented as if she were actually sad about the fact.

Julian would've argued that he was here first if it weren't for the way the girl was leaning into his brother's just and the way Draco's hand was resting easily around her hips. It was clear to him, that from the way that the bookends had sat across from the two obvious lovers and the way that the playboy had tossed himself into the seat Julian had vacated the moment the black haired girl had rushed in, that he was the odd one out. The one that didn't belong. Obviously he was the one that needed to leave.

"Well…I'm sure the lot of you have things to catch up on…" He said, lingering long enough to see if his brother would stop him from leaving, but after looking his brother's direction, he was sure that no actual words could make it passed the tongue that was shoved down his throat.

Nodding at the sight, Julian turned and left the compartment, unsure of where he was going, but knowing that he had to get away from that highly disturbing sight.

'It's not like you've never seen it before.' Julian thought to himself darkly, making his way to the back of the train, as far from the front compartment he had been in as he could get without going outside.

'Yeah,' he thought back to himself as he looked into one full cabin after another. 'But in never twisted my insides and make my heart tighten from it.'

'You know what that means…' The inner voice chuckled disappearing after an internally vicious glare.

Julian finally found a semi unoccupied cabin and didn't care if he would be interrupting the mans' peaceful ride. With a quick knock that hardly made the other occupant twitch, he opened the door and while he wanted to be rude and just sit, to hell with manners, he gently cleared his throat to get the man's attention.

Large black eyes were turned in the young blondes' general direction and seemed to look passed and through him all at the same time.

"What?" The man growled, his eyed seeming to sift slightly left to right in attempt to see who had entered his cabin. "Come to stare have you? Well leave! It's not to early to take house points, get out!" The man continued to shout, standing on surprisingly steady feat to step menacingly towards the stupid first year that had thought it would be funny to tell all of their friends what they'd down to the cripple teacher in the back of the train.

"No sir," Julian replied softly, staying where he was by the door. "I was just looking for somewhere to spend the train ride, would you mind?"

The dark eyed man blinked his unfocusable eyes at the admission and the beautiful voice that reminded him so much of the way Lilly had once sounded to wash over him as he slowly sat back down on the bench he'd made sure to keep a foot touching at all times.

"Who are you?" He asked, tilting his head enough to catch the virtually silent foot steps that moved across the compartment and stopped a the bench adjacent from him.

"Would you like the long or short of it?" The voice asked, humor coloring the smooth words.

"Thrill me." The man replied, shifting his eyes to where he thought the person was.

"My name is Julian." The voice said, giving the easy answer instead of the longer one he was sure was there, pure blood by the sounds of it.

"You may call me Snape." The man replied, reaching a calloused hand out, and to his surprise, it was immediately filled with a small, delicate hand with long elegant fingers and the softest skin he'd ever felt before.

"Snape…" The person responded, giving his hand a firm shake. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Snape nodded in return and leaned back in his seat once he had discontinued the physical greeting.

"Tell me, Julian, I have never taught you before, and as such, I am sure that you have never attended Hogwarts before, am I right?"

Julian nodded and leaned back in his seat as well.

"I was attending a privet school until this past year. I am hoping to further my education here before I go onto my next step." He replied, pulling on of his low pigtails over his shoulder to fiddle with the light lavender bow that secured the middle of the tail so that the length didn't get to tangled and it added charm to the lavender sweater he had coordinated with his white ankle length skirt and low white heels.

"I've never known Hogwarts to accept a transfer student before," The murmured aloud to himself. "And a female at that."

Julian laughed and looked up from his hair. "You aren't the first person to tell me that. It makes it sound as if the school is an All Boys establishment."

The older man shook his head and turned his sight to the window, even though he couldn't see out of it.

"Not quite," He answered. "But it isn't easy for any girl there. The curriculum is geared towards men, as well as the physical fitness course that was installed this year. I predict that in the next few years that Hogwarts will be come and all boy's school. Such is the nature of the admittance council."

"I see." Julian murmured, turning to look out the window as well, 'It's like he's creating his own army. Like a muggle boot camp only with the potential to be much more dangerous… ' An eerie chill sang through the blonde's body and left a bad after taste in his mouth.

"You don't seem to worried about anything that I've said." Snape commented as he turned to face the child across from him.

"I'm not." Came the simple answer, an answer that made Snapes' perpetually frowning lips quirk into what could almost pass as a smile.

The two settled into an easy silence after that, Julian quietly reading while Snape stared out the window, the silence was only broken when the door was slid open and a darling elderly lady poked her head it.

"Any thing from the trolley Professor, oh. Hello. Willing to bet you must be who that young man was in a tizzy about finding just a tick ago." She laughed, never having seen the professor allow anyone into his compartment before, well she defiantly was lovely, not that it really mattered all that much.

"I'm afraid I'm out of touch with magical treats," Julian replied to the woman's' original inquiry, "Is there anything you're recommend?"

The woman laughed at the blatant disregard to the mentioned search as she quickly popped out and back, her arms loaded with this and that.

"Well dear, let me give you my recommendations and you can choose for yourself." She bubbled handing the girl the treats as she listed them off. "We have Chocolate Frogs, always a favorite for the boys as they come with a collectable card in each package, but I doubt you'll want to chase after your treats to eat them. We have Berrtie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, I'd be careful with those though. Oh let's see here, you might like this. New on the Trolley this year, It's a peppermint dipped rose that blooms as you lick it!"

Julian laughed at the woman's excitement and agreed to the odd jelly beans and the rose. "Would you like anything?" He asked the man across from him that had perked up at the mention of peanut butter chocolate bats that were spelled to flutter around until caught and then fluttered all the way down, but the man simply shook his head and Julian made sure to pay for the chocolate treat for the sullen made that looked as if he needed to smile more.

Once the woman had left them alone again, Julian figured if his brother were so desperate to find him, he shouldn't have let his friends freeze him out in such away.

Looking down at the various treats he had, he opened the box of jelly beans and carefully selected a light pink one that could've been strawberry milkshake flavor or not. Sadly, it was not and Julian made squeaking, disgusted sound ad he pulled out a handkerchief and spit out the salmon flavored mush.

It took a moment or two for the low dark chuckles to penetrate the offended complaining that Julian was just now calming down from.

"Are you laughing at me good sir?" He asked, his tone stating that if he were standing he'd have had his hands on his hips in a huff.

Snape chuckled again, his laugh dry from disuse, "No my lady," He teased. "I've just never heard someone so offended at that particular candy. You get what you pay for."

"That's Princess to you," Julian teased back, "And if you are so manly as to not fear the unknown, I dare you to have the next go at it."

Now let it be noted that Severus Snape, even in his younger years, had never been one to indulge others or give in to flights of fancy. He'd never played guessing games and ignored everyone who had ever tried to get to know him for fear of being rejected. That was until he'd met Lilly Evens.

Lilly had been different, a fiery girl with a wit shaper than razor wire and a laugh quicker than a speeding bullet, and when she wanted something she always got it.

Severus could remember a conversation that ran along the same lines as this one was going. Sure the words were different and Lilly had shoved the candy in his hand instead of offering it to him, but the intent was the same, it was all geared to making him smile.

So not one to disappoint or step away from a challenge, Severus Snape reached his hand forward and was pleased to find the small treats dance around his fingers before he pulled one out and popped it in his mouth.

"Lemon Tart," He reported, letting the tension in his shoulders disappear. "Not bad."

"Not fair," Julian laughed, going for another one, this time biting it in half instead of eating the whole thing. Pickled eggs was the next flavor, followed by Fresh baked scones for Snape and Dirt for Julian who had to admit, it wasn't the worst dirt he'd ever tasted.

On and on they went trading sweets and sharing little stories here or there about themselves, never getting to personal, seeing as they still understood that their roles at the castle would consist of student and teacher, but neither let themselves care for to long.

"I think this is supposed to be Lint…" Julian said after a moment of blinking at grey and orange speckled bean half that lay in his hand.

Just as Severus was about to question the odd tone used, the door to the cabin flew open and he immediately stood to face the door so as not to be caught off guard, unbeknownst to him, Julian had done that same thing.

"Do you know how worried I've been!?" Draco shouted, glaring that the small blonde cross dresser. "We are almost to the station, neither of us are dressed properly, and I haven't been able to find you all train ride!"

"The hell were you looking?" Julian asked back, not appreciating being yelled at for almost no reason. "Mars? The train isn't that big Draco! But why an I surprised it took you so long. I'm sure your girlfriend's lips were lock so tightly on yours that any false move would've sucked off your face!"

Both blondes glared at one another, neither willing to give an inch, but eventually Draco crumbled, like he always did when faced with his brother's temper.

"Come on, I'll apologies on the way back to the cabin, we only have about fifteen minuets to get ready." He said, holding out a hand for his brother to take.

Julian scowled at his brother again before he turned and gathered his things and turned a small smile on his soon to be professor.

"Thank you for letting me sit with you. I had a very enjoyable time good sir."

Snape just twitched his lips back at the child and sat back down. "I'm sure we'll meet again, Princess."

Julian just laughed at the dry crack as he took his brother's hand and was lead from the room.

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The sorting fest was rather anti climatic and yet at the same time, sent a chill through Julian's soul once more.

Snape hadn't been lying when he'd hinted at the difference between men in women in the school. The boys out populated the girls by about seventy percent, if not alittle more. Even the staff was mostly men, the only females being an older woman in stanch green robes and a small red headed woman who looked as if her soul had seen better days.

Julian was directed to stand with the first years to be sorted, and boy did he feel on display. It wasn't so much that all of the first years were staring at him, nor was it that everyone else was trying and failing not to stare at him, it was more the fact that no matter how hard he tried to tug the skirt he was wearing down, it wasn't getting any longer.

And it wasn't just his either, he'd wondered about that when he'd first put his skirt on. Every female uniform skirt was at least two inches shorter than was respectable. Not only that, the female shirts were just transparent enough to see through them in the candle light, the recommended shoes just high enough to let anyone who cared to look see all they wanted if the girl bent down wrong.

He would complain to the head master and refuse to wear it, but his other option was the boy's uniform, which honestly looked like military uniform with a robe over it, and that wasn't much better in Julian's opinion.

Julian was getting the feeling that girls weren't treating like more than objects here, he got the feeling he was going to be writing a very long letter the his old head mistress very soon.

When all the names were called but one, Julian rolled his eyes as Dumbledore stood and humbly welcomed a distinguished graduate of the Holly Oaks Academy to his school. He back handedly wished good luck in the classes to come and hoped that good magical breeding could over come a parent's misguided decision.

Julian chuckled to himself as he climbed the steps that lead to a small stool and a hat that seemed to read your thoughts and talked.

'What little you know, you old fool, what little you know.'

The hat was placed on his head and after a brief conversation about a seam ripper and a fire pit if the hat even thought about putting him in Gryffindor, the Hat quickly shouted that Slytherin would be the best fit and seemed to sigh in relief when Julian plucked it from his head and handed it to the waiting woman in green before he headed to his table.

"If it's possible that hat look positively petrified." Draco laughed as he pushed one of the hulking figures over so that his brother could sit at the bench next to him. "What did you say to it?"

"Nothing," Julian replied, trying to figure out a way to sit down without flashing everyone. "But I think it might have seen a memory of you before you you've brushed your hair in the morning, we both know that could scare the white out of a ghost."

Draco scowled and nudged the boy with his elbow as he motioned for him to sit again. "The bench won't bite, even I got used to it. There's a cushioning charm on it, I swear."

Julian laughed and finally sat down, how he'd managed to keep his dignity, he'd never know, but hoped to repeat the process.

All though dinner Julian made light conversation with those around him, but eventually gave up on talking with the boys for various reasons that all dealt with eye locations and strangely personal questions that no one had a right to ask someone they'd only just met.

The girls weren't much better, all of their head's full of fluff and the rocks they were dumber than the box of seeming to fall out of their mouths every time the spoke.

It was crazy, what had he agreed to when he'd told his head mistress that he would help in any ways he could. This was just degrading.

"It's not all bad," Draco said softly, leaning close so that he could be heard over the loud chatter surrounding them. "They really are nice when you get to know them."

"I'm sure niceness isn't what their lacking." Julian replied, stifling a small yawn.

Soon dinner came to a close and after that everyone was lead to their respective houses, Draco leading his brother up to their room after a very possessive kiss from his tart, Daisy or Buttercup…or something like that.

Julian soon found that he would also be rooming with the other boys from that had sat with them on the train, not that he minded really, at least the two walls were quite.

"I'm going to get ready for bed Draco," Julian said, turning a full circle in the middle of the room before looking at his brother. "Where is the bathroom?"

Draco laughed and pointed out the door.

"Sixth and Seventh years share a bath, it's at the end of the hall." He said, gathering his own shampoo and other bathroom supplies.

"This is insane…" Julian mumbled to himself, finding himself more and more grateful for having attended Holly Oaks.

Showering wasn't as awkward as It could've been, all the other boys either still down in the common room laughing and catching up with friends or hurrying to finish last minuet homework.

Julian quickly washed his hair and scrubbed himself down before he climbed out and used a quick drying charm on his body so he could get dressed right away instead of having to wait, his hair on the other hand he began to gently twist until water began to pour to the ground in long gushes.

Draco, dressed and towel drying his hair, watched the smaller boy with a amused tilt of his lips.

"Don't you ever dress like a boy?" He asked, taking in his brothers' lime green pajama bottoms that had large with ruffles around the hem of the legs that stopped at the knee and a white spaghetti strap tank top with lime green ruffles around the bottom the over lapped the top of the tight pants.

"Does it bother you that I don't?" Julian countered, ringing the last bit of his hair out and letting the white locks swirl around his body freely.

Draco shrugged and gathered their things as they headed back to their dorm.

"I guess not." He replied, walking into the room and looking over at his bed with a sigh.

"You know, I don't need a baby sitter." Julian chuckled, pulling out a pad of stationary and a self inking quill from his trunk. "Go, Be yourself, have fun."

Draco almost said no, but shrugged and left the room, joining the other Slytherins in the common room, the noise level rising a few decimals at his arrival.

Julian smiled and got to work writing, telling about everything that she saw and heard and asking for back up.

'The situation is getting worse,' He wrote. 'If we aren't careful war could break out any time. With four houses and house rivalries at an all time high, I required assistance to defuse the situation. Let us hope that is all it will take.'

With a sigh, Julian got off his bed and went over to the only window in the room. It still entertained him that they had gone down to the dungeons, and yet they ended up in one of the four towers.

"Magic," He laughed, opening the window and taking in a deep breath of fresh air before he looked down at the neatly sealed envelope, kissing it once to give it wings of air before he let in fly towards the horizon.

The next morning, Julian woke at four o'clock, ready for anything. Pots and pans, Heavy Metal music, Mattress flipping, anything. But when nothing happened he slowly sat up and looked around the room. No one was wake yet and if their relaxed posture was anything to go by, they weren't prepared to wake for quite some time.

Slipping out of bed, Julian quickly padded over to his brothers' side and shook his gently.

"Draco…Draco wake up." He whispered, shaking the blonde again.

Draco woke with a startled snort, only to register the voice calling for him and sit up like a shot.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking around wildly for anything that might have upset the boy and had him up at whatever ungodly hour it was. "What is it?"

"Nothing, calm down," Julian whispered, sitting on the boy four poster. "I was just wondering when we all got up, what time?"

Draco blearily blinking at his brother and shook his head, falling back in an un-Malfoy like fashion.

"We get up whenever we want," He answered grumpily. "As long as we are at class by nine. Today is the day you really have to go to breakfast, other than that I guess you could hang breakfast if you wanted. Now go away!"

Julian nodded and wished his irritated brother a good night before he went over to his trunk and pulled out early morning work out cloths. There was no use In getting out of shape because these people had a different schedule than he did.

After running and showering again, putting on his uniform with a wrinkle of his nose, Julian figured, since it was only seven, that he might as well walk around and get to know his surrounds.

So after gathering his back pack and purse, Julian headed out and began to wonder around the stone corridors. He didn't stumble upon and paintings or cool hidden sitting alcoves for reading, but he wondered around long enough to find the main stair case again, as well as a long line of doors with light spilling out from the last one, along with some of the foulest language Julian had ever heard.

Curious, he followed the sounds of swearing and the occasional crash or two to find the man he'd gotten to know on the train having a difficult time trying to shove large wooden desks around the room. An amazing feet for a man who couldn't see.

"You look as if you could use some help Professor." He said warmly as he leaned on the door frame and waited for the man to invite him in.

"Unless you are offering your services, go away." He growled, pausing in his work to glare in the direction of the door.

Julian laughed as he set his bags down and moved further into the room. "Now is that anyway to treat a Princess who just happened to stumble upon her knight in need?"

Severus's lips twitched as he rose an eyebrow at the voice that was getting closer to him.

"Knight?" He asked.

"Yeah," Julian replied, leaning a hip against the desk the man had just been trying to man handle across the room if the previous two desks that were actually slanted in weird angles had anything to do with it. "Knight. You know. A 'Good Sir' was usually a knight or a hero a lady was addressing."

"And I'm your hero?" Snape asked, the disbelief clear in his voice.

Julian laughed and nodded, turning to help the man with his task. "Yes, you saved me from a lonely train ride and have provided the only intelligent conversation I've had so far."

Severus once again graced the confusing child beside him with the sounds of his dry chuckles. "Well then Princess, help you knight get these tables back in order. Some nit thought it would be funny to rearrange everything last night and if it's not straightened out, I'll have to cancel classes until I can get it right."

Julian nodded and commented that class being canceled was probably the main goal of the stunt, to which Severus agreed.

"It happened every year." He said as he began to push, amazed at how mush easier it was with two people rather than just him. "I should be used to it."

Julian used a bit of magic to roll the stone floor under the desk like wheels so that it was easier to maneuver.

"They line up with the raised red X's." Snape said as the settle the first on and Julian repositioned the other two previously placed desks accordingly, summoning a bit of wind to help him.

It took the rest of the morning, breakfast being half over by the time they finished. But neither really cared as they looked around the room proudly, Julian actually seeing what the work had accomplished and Severus just knowing that he'd done it and that he was going to get to teach the first class of the year on time for once.

"Well I guess I should get to breakfast. Draco said something about getting a schedule…" Julian said with a sigh, kind of worried to see what the schedule would look like seeing as he hadn't signed up for any classes.

Snape nodded and the both left, each taking different routs to the Great Hall. When Julian reached his noisy and extremely crowded house table, he was slightly sickened to see Iris trying to devour his brother like he was the last piece of bacon in existence.

One of the bookends looked up from their breakfast which was actually a healthy collection of fruits which surprised Julian and handed him a small square of paper.

'Well now I know why there aren't a lot of transfers…' Julian though to himself as he stared down at his schedule. Every last class was an advanced level, with honors. Which would probably mean more was expected and that the stress would give him a small stroke after a month or so.

"This is crazy. Hey Draco, who makes the schedules?" He asked, reaching out and physically separating the snogging couple.

"What?" He asked, panting a bit from his rigorous activities.

"Who makes the schedules if you aren't told about needing to choose classes?" He asked again, tapping his well manicured nails on the sheet of paper in question.

"Think that would be Dumbledore…" He said, looking up at the head table, the old man staring right back in his general location. "Yeah, I think that's right."

"I am transferring in from a muggle establishment…I can't believe he thinks I can do all thins…" Julian breathed, not caring when the paper was taken from him.

"Wow…" Draco said with a low whistle. "Well I'm in the adv.h charms, but even I wasn't good enough to get into the level of potions…I honestly don't think anyone else was either."

The bookend that had handed the schedule over, Julian was pretty sure that one was Crabbe, pointed to himself and the boy next to him and then to the small print indicating that the two of them were taking adv.h ancient ruins. They didn't say a lot, but they sure got their point across.

As it turned out, the only class that wasn't an advanced honors class, and was just advanced, was the physical education, that was an across the board thing.

"I heard someone say that they over heard the teachers talking about a big assembly after lunch to separate us into classes," Rose said, leaning in to tell her big 'secret'. "It's the only way the school administrators will let Dumbledore keep his new project. They tried this same thing and one of the schools up north a few years ago, do you remember? Exact same set up. But they were careful and some of the kids died because what they went though was to extreme for them to handle."

Draco nodded, he'd read about that. "It was a big scandal, I've heard that Aurors can't even pass the highest level on this thing."

The rest of the table chatter and soon Breakfast was finished, Dumbledore standing just before everyone rushed off to confirm that yes, there would be a placement test for the mandatory class and that yes, everyone had to attend.

"What's first…" Julian mumbled to himself, looking at the schedule he'd gotten back from Draco Just as Ivy had attacked him yet again. "Ah, Defense, this should be fun."

888888888888888

"Welcome to Advanced Honors Defense Against the Dark Arts, My name is Sirius Black, Professor Black to you, and if any of you ask if I am 'Serious' or tell me to 'Be Serious' I will laugh and take away house points." The tall black haired man said as he looked around at the eight students in the very large room, not one of them sitting close to the other.

"I'd like this to be a fun class, I'm not big on assignments or essays, because frankly, I'm not going to read them. Even if you write them, and turn them in, I'm not going to read them. I have better things to do with my time, as I'm sure you do, so what we'll do if have in class discussions and I suggest you either come to class every day or read your books or both, because I hate conversations where half the answer is 'and like' I will fail you for that." At that he looked around the room and gave everyone a bright smile before he hopped up on his desk and class got under way.

After that came adv.h Charms where Julian got to sit next to his brother while the other three kids in the class just seemed to ignore one another.

From there it was adv.h Herbology where Julian got paired with a lovely boy with a bright smile named Neville something or other. And from there it was adv.h Potions.

This was the class he'd looked forward to all day. Quickly cleaning his robes with another one of Bethie's handy hygiene helpers, he ran all the way up to the castle and down the cool dungeon steps, through the hallway and into the room only to find himself alone.

Julian glanced around and shrugged as he fixed his hair from all the running and sat at one of the well organized desks.

It was five minuets after class was to have started when Severus Snape burst into the room, his robes flying, the door slamming closed behind him.

"What class is this?" He growled, standing at his desk, hand poised over three different books.

"Advanced Honors Potions," Julian replied his smile widening when the saw the taller man's face scrunch.

"Miss. Malfoy?" He asked, turning to where he was sure he'd heard the voice.

"Technically it's mister." He replied, hopping off of his seat to move closer to the man seeing as it was just the two of them. "But you can call me miss if it helps separate me from my brother in your mind."

Snapes lips twitched as he carefully turned and leaned against his desk.

"Do you know anything of potions?" He asked, unsure of what to do for an Advanced honors class, seeing as he'd never had one before.

"I know the theory." Julian replied, "I read a lot on my free time. But old school wasn't magical, so never got to practice it. But I assume it's a lot like cooking and baking, right?"

Snape nodded, glade that the child already understood that at least.

"I'll have to warn you that I was never very good at either of those two activities…in fact I think I've lit a bowl of cereal on fire by pouring milk over it once."

Any hope Snape had, died with that small admission. He didn't know what the hope was for or why it was there, but that statement murdered it in cold blood. Brutally.

"Well I guess we could start from the basics, all the while trying to convince ourselves that you are improving at a phenomenal rate. Or we could go with Plan B." Severus said reaching a hand up to rub at his temple.

"Plan B wouldn't happen to be me wrestling a bear in a kiddie pool full of lime jell-o would it?" Julian asked, pretty sure he could win that fight to pass the class if it came down to It.

"No…" Snape said slowly, turning his head to stare in the general direction of the only other voice in the room.

"Alright, then let's go with Plan B." Julian laughed, putting away the idea of jell-o bear wrestling for another Plan B that would eventually pop up in his life time.

"Then you should get to work." Severus said as he pulled out various scrolls of summer homework.

"What do you usually give them?" He asked as he moved to the other side of the man's desk and pulled one of the chairs closer to him with a small swirl of wind.

"C's." Snape answered honestly, sitting in his own chair and closed his useless eyes. "I can't see the papers to tell if they are done or not and it isn't like there are any spells that would turn what they wrote into brail. Let's face it. The magical world doesn't know how to deal disabilities. There are spells to dissolve bones in the body and potions to regrow them over night so the thought of never walking again or never being able to stir a caldron never occurs to people. But when something goes wrong magically…everyone is in the dark and the victim is left with nothing to do but go on with life."

Julian wished there was something he could do to help, but there was honestly nothing he could do and he just didn't think this was the right time to ask how the man had lost his sight, because he obviously hadn't been born this way.

The two settled into a pattern after that. Julian reading the essays that were actually done and making the corrections that needed to be made and giving more 'F's' then she was sure the kids could recover from.

"Little brats." Severus hissed, not even wanting to deal with the rest of the essays. "Just give tem all F's. Maybe they'll get it and try harder."

Just then the magical bells and whistles went off and Julian put his head down on the desk.

"I don't want to go do tests to see what level of physical education I need…" He whined, slowly rising to his feet.

"Don't worry," Snape said, feeling odd to be encouraging someone for once. "I'm sure you won't fail abysmally."

"I'm not worried about failing." Julian replied picking up his backpack and purse on his way out. "That's the problem."

Ducking into a bathroom, Julian changed out of his uniform and into something suitable to run and push himself in. Before he left he gave himself a once over in the mirror.

Spandex like pants with body temperature regulating charms, check. Long plain white t-shirt that clung to the body, but didn't restrict movement, check. Magical sports bra, check. White three inch tennis shoe pumps for style and functionality, check. White fingerless gloves, check. Hair in a high ponytail and braided, check. Sweat proof make-up applied properly, check. Magical glue to ear and nose piece of glasses so they won't fall off, check.

From there he ran down to, 'The Field', as it was being called and made it just in time, because just as he skidded to a halt to stand next to his brother, a magically enhanced voice began speaking from the front of the collected students, a tall black haired man with glass welcoming all of the students and stating that they should get through everyone today.

"My wife, Mrs. Potter, is going to be taking the first through four years and let the try their luck at the Beast, as we are liking to call her, and I will be taking the rest of the years, as we are going to run until either the last one of you drops or it is your turn to try your luck. Let's go!"

Julian walked next to his brother and had to laugh as the boy mad face after disgusted face at having to run or do anything so strenuous, Daffodil agreeing with him the whole way and complaining about how her shoes were going to get ruined.

"You knew we were doing this." Julian said, making sure the both heard him. "You should've changed into more appropriate cloths."

Heather scowled and huffed off, going over to join her friend who was obviously just as upset as she was over the turn of events.

Draco on the other hand stayed by his brothers side, agreeing that he should've thought about it more.

"A Malfoy is prepared for any situation." Julian quoted reaching into his bag, pulling out a white t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants he'd gotten at some point along the course of the day. "Sorry to say you're stuck with the shoes you have on though."

Draco laughed took the cloths, putting them on as they walked, then used dissolving spells to get rid of his old cloths.

When they reached the edge of the lake, The man stopped and looked around at the gathered crowd.

"I see that young Master Malfoy had enough time to change his cloths before coming to class." The man said with an ugly tone to his voice. "I think for being the only one with enough time on their hands to stop and change cloths, he should be the first to start running. Malfoy. By me."

When Draco began to moved to the front, Julian quickly shook his head and went in his place, because it was him the man had actually been talking about anyways.

The man blinked at the small blonde that stood in front of him and then looked over at the taller blonde that came to rest a hand on the other's shoulder.

"Well are you going to tell us when to go?" The smaller one asked calmly, reaching up to touch the hand lightly.

With a nod he blew his whistle and both blondes started running, it wasn't a jet setting pace, but it wasn't as slow as a snail, it was the pace of someone who had training. He let the two run for another five minuets before blowing his whistle again and indicating that the rest should follow them.

Most ran all out, some jogged, others did a combination of the two, but the two blondes stayed together, at the same pace, each lap adding just alittle bit more speed. Until eventually the Julian was the only one left running, his brother having dropped out six laps ago due to the in ability to breathe any longer.

"Mister Malfoy," The teacher called, motioning for the boy to come closer. "Who is that?" He asked bluntly.

"My brother sir." Draco replied, looking over at the man. "He was sorted during the opening feast."

"I only arrived this morning," The man replied, watching the boy draw nearer. "I have never seen endurance like this. Man, Woman, doesn't matter."

"Don't know where he get's it." Draco said as he drew another deep breath into his lungs to cool the ever present burning sensation.

"Hm." Was all he said as he spied his wife approaching silently from the side, watching the still running boy with a flicker of something that James hadn't seen in years and was unable to name due to it's rarity.

Draco made sure to catch his brother's attention as he motioned over to the small red head that was now leading the group away.

"That was amazing!" He said, wrapping an arm around his brother's waist just as the small boy's legs decided to turn to jelly for the amount of running he'd done.

"Yeah," He agreed, laughing at how much his body was going to hate him in the morning. "I kept telling myself that the next time I got to the group I'd stop, but I just kept going…but it felt good."

Draco laughed and helped his brother walk his muscles out to cool them down, before sitting down with the rest of the crowd to start going through, 'The Beast'.

"To give some of you a rest for all of your hard work," the male Professor Potter called out across the gathered students. "We are going to go alphabetically by year, starting with fifth year."

And with that, the test began.

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Another chapter? So soon? Back to back? Yeah I know, lol, but all of you wonderful fans who have stuck with me deserve it.

Review, love me!

Yours,

Kat


	6. Twisted Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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'The Beast' was a military obstacle course on steroids with dangerous magical surprises around every corner. To be honest, it didn't look to hard at first, quite a few students laughed and joked or made smart comments about the relatively average looking course, but those students soon took back their earlier comments after the first few eliminations.

Apparently, the course was easy at first, but each time the present course runner reached the beginning again, the field and obstacles would change and the runner would have to go again and again until they were 'defeated' by the course or they begged out. And after one of the fifth years begged out, no one else let the thought cross their minds after they'd witnessed what happened to the small mousey looking brunette Hufflepuff.

It was late into the evening when the last sixth year dropped from one of the six swinging trapezes that were suspended over a large pool of bright orange tapioca looking mess that was thicker than molasses and more difficult than quicksand to escape from.

"Seems this had gone on longer than expected." Professor Potter said to the still gathered seventh years and various other students who had stuck around to watch the rest of the trails. "I'm proud, but we still aren't finished. Go get dinner then report back here."

With that the mass of bodies stood and began to make their way to the Great Hall. Younger years talking amongst themselves about who had the best fall or the current record holder who had reached round eleven before an unfortunate round house to the chest from one of the many hidden hand to hand opponents that appeared as the course got harder and changed, had knocked him out and sent him to the medical wing.

The older years weren't much different in their topics of conversation, each reflecting on the various ways the other course runners before them had gotten though various problems and how they would get through them when their turn came.

Julian's mind wasn't quite focused on eating as he pushed his mashed potatoes around on his plate and began gently nudging his carrots into a uniform formation. The turkey was shredded, small broccoli florets strategically placed, and the peas mashed into a paste like mess. He was halfway done with the sludge like gravy river when he noticed how quite it had gotten around him.

Slowly, Julian looked up from his plate and was shocked to find the eyes of his table mates staring back at him as if he had two heads.

"What?" He asked, glancing around at the curious gazed around him.

"Julian, what are you doing?" Draco asked, pointing at the artistically shaped food that was still the same amount that he'd seen his brother originally put on his plate, despite the new arrangement.

"Thinking." Julian replied, looking back down that his plate that he'd spent most of dinner molding and shaping into the various forms of the obstacle course he'd watched the younger years fight their way through all afternoon.

"Do you always think with your food?" Iris sneered, pressing herself closer to Draco's back as she leaned in to look at the mess as if it actually interested her.

"You should see what happens when I think out loud." Julian replied sharply, the spoon in his right hand that was currently filled with pea paste shifted to just the right angle to sling the nasty looking mush in the annoying girls general direction without making to big a mess in the process.

Draco's lips twitched at the implied threat, but negated the impending food fight by taking the spoon away from his brother and pointing at the plate once more.

"Thinking?" He prompted, wiggling the plate slightly to show what he was talking about as if anyone had really forgotten.

Julian nodded and looked back down that the circular battle field of food.

"Yeah. This is the exact layout of the eighth round, or level or platform or whatever you wish to call it. According to what we could see and what other people who passed the eighth whatever have said, it seems all of the levels are basically the same except for the magical aspects. Like the trapeze. It's always there, but every round another one is added. I wonder at what level it stops adding and goes to something harder. It's not like the course is going to expand to encompass a hundred swinging trapezes, right?"

Looking around, Julian thought he might be wrong on that fact for a moment before Blaise Zambini, the green eyed play boy he'd been introduced to on the train, laughed and shook his head.

"Boy, you sure have high expectations girly." He said, smearing his fork though the cooked carrot wall that bordered the swinging pendulum poles that were symbolized by floating broccoli in beef gravy. "Not even top Aurors have gotten to that level. They say it's a suicide mission after fifty, that being the highest anyone has ever gotten before dieing…"

Julian glared at the offensive brunet who was slowly pulling the now clean fork out of his mouth.

"For someone who hardly ran twelve laps around the lake before laying down belly up, I wouldn't be trying to talk a tough game." He said, pushing his plate away from himself.

"Who's talking tough?" Blaise asked with a quirk of one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "I don't plan on getting passed round three. I foresee a rather disgusting fall into the purple goo that stains one's skin green. But at least I will get that far. I was simply telling you what everyone knows. Even the teachers don't know what that thing does after a certain level. I bet less than none of them have even tried. But Dumbledore is planning something and we are just the mice in his little experimental games."

The rest of the Slytherins nodded and Julian dipped his head in apology. It was strange to find a common ground with his house mates when he'd been expecting to practically be a social outcast, being the odd transfer student and all.

"The old man expects us to try our hardest. To out perform the Gryffindors because we all know they will be giving it their all. But why play into his hand?" Blaise murmured darkly, his voice low so as not to be heard by anyone the least bit loyal to the coot. "I get average grades, have a lower than average reputation, and higher than average detention rate, usually because of that lower than average reputation. No one is expecting anything grand from me, so I won't be on his watch list and I certainly won't be at the top of his recruitment list when I graduate either."

"Good for you." Julian replied, actually giving the strong willed boy a genuine smile.

Blaise actually seemed to turn a light pink at the attention for his out spoken political views and smiled in return, an act which he promptly stopped when he caught Draco's icy blue gaze over Julian's shoulder.

"Come on," Draco said quickly as he stood and began to head for the door, leaving his very confused brother little time to catch up.

"Draco…Draco wait!" Julian called, grabbing the taller blonde's wrist once they were outside and down the lawn enough so they wouldn't be heard by any interested ears. "Draco what's your problem?"

"It's nothing." Draco replied, snatching his wrist back to continue to walk down to the course area, albeit at a slower pace.

"It's not nothing." Julian replied, grabbing his brother's wrist again. "Tell me what's wrong. One minuet everything is going well enough and the next it seems as if your already to short fuse got cut in half. What was it? Was it what Blaise said about Dumbledore? Are you a supporter or something?"

"What?" Draco asked quickly, turning to face his slightly younger sibling. "That's not it, you know that!"

"Then what is it?" Julian pressed again, his perfectly clear ice blue eyes staring into his brothers matching set imploringly.

"I just didn't like the way he was smiling at you, ok?" Draco shouted in reply, a blush settling over his pale nose and cheeks at the admission.

"Oh…" Julian replied, slowly letting go of his brother's wrist in favor of twisting his hands behind his back and bushing lightly as well.

"Nothing more to it than that!" Draco said quickly, folding his arms over his chest as he started once more for the clearing. "You're my little brother and Blaise is a whore. You never know what diseases you'll get from standing to close."

Julian laughed softly and nudged his brother with his hip once he'd caught up with the other boy. "I'm a big boy you know, I put on my own lipstick and everything."

Draco rolled his eyes and settled down on the grass in the magically lit area they'd finally arrived at.

If six years ago anyone had told him that at a point in the nearer than far future that he would be sitting on the ground next to his cross dressing brother trying not to think about how no one else was around or how beautifully said brothers' skin seemed to glow in the lighting, he would've learned the deadliest of the unmentionable curses and used it on the accuser post haste.

But as it was Draco did find these thoughts happening and he was becoming bothered by the strange turn said feelings were taking.

"You know you're a boy right?" He snapped, his sudden anger catching Julian completely off guard with its intensity.

"Yes." He replied firmly, looking at his brother as if he'd lost all of the marbles he seemed to have left after six years off assumed loss of a loved one. "You know you're one to right? Haven't lost the equipment that separates the sexes in a dangerous potions accident have you?"

The joke went unacknowledged as Draco looked away from the object of his confusion.

"Sometimes I wonder. I mean I don't really care, I love you, you're my brother. But you're not at Holly Oaks anymore. You don't have to pretend to be a girl. You're a Malfoy for Merlin's sake."

Julian watched the emotions flicker across his brother's face in the form of small twitches and tense lips. He could tell that the frustration the other blonde felt wasn't because of the way he looked, the problem was he couldn't figure out why the frustration was there to begin with.

"Draco, I like how I am. It started because of a confusion, then continued out of need. I didn't know what else to do…then it just became…me. Plus I came home to find there was already a man of the house." Julian inched closer to his moody sibling and lay his head on the other boy's strong shoulder.

Draco smiled at the joke, his frustration ebbing for the moment. "You're trying to distract me."

"Yes," Julian laughed. "Is it working?"

"Getting there…" Draco replied, turning to wrap an arm around the tiny blonde at his side. "I'm straight Julian…I like girls. I always have. I always will. We're brothers. Nothing more. Blood. It wouldn't be….it's not right."

Julian nodded and looked down at his hands. "I know."

It was a simple statement, one that silently screamed of inner pain and confusion, but neither felt the need to address the awkwardness that surrounded them. They sat side by side, Julian's head on Draco's shoulder, Draco's arm around Julian's waist, as they waited for dinner to adjourn and the rest of the older children to flood the clearing to await their fate on 'The Beast'.

A short time later, the combined voices of all four seventh year houses descended upon the peaceful serenity of the clearing. It wasn't long before the magically enhanced voice of Professor James Potter boomed out over the chattering crowd.

"Welcome Seventh years and various curious bystanders. I'm sure I can guess what is going through quite a few of your little heads at this very moment. I'm guessing it's something alone the lines of 'How can we do our best at night? It's so dark!'…am I right? Well I have a revelation for you. I don't care. You are seventh years and I expect each and everyone of you to do you best. If I feel at any time that you are not giving your all, I will submit you to the worst detentions I can think of until you graduate. That's quite a ways away ladies and gentlemen. Think about it."

It was quite the speech, Julian had to give him that. The cold hearted bastard had a way of setting you up, knocking you down, encouraging you, and making you wish that you'd never been born all at the same time. It was almost beautiful in it's deliverance.

"Still thinking of copping out after round three?" Julian murmured at the green eyed boy behind him. Said boy just chuckled and stated that he was planning to hold true to his plan.

"Let's start!" The brunette professor cried, shouting out the first victims name. Julian almost felt bad for the tiny Ravenclaw girl whose first and last name started with A's.

Julian watched as each of his year mates took their turns. One by one they fell, some getting further than even they themselves thought they would, Clover actually making it to round nine before she swerved left rather than right and was knocked right off her feet by a particularly vicious sand bag.

"I'm impressed." Julian murmured softly, watching the unpleased looking girl stagger to a standing position and limp off the course.

"You and her both." Draco replied, personally surprised that his girlfriend hadn't burst into bone shattering sobs.

"Girls are lot tougher than you give them credit for." The small boy replied, turning his head in such a way that his eyes locked with gentle ice blue ones.

"I know they are Julian. I know they are."

Julian nodded and leaned into his brother's arms as they both turned back to watching the slaughter of one particular seventh year red head.

To be honest, the boy didn't do to bad. He worked hard, was quick on his feet and had a good mind for strategy. Julian wasn't surprised that he made it to the twelfth platform. He didn't even make a mistake, not really anyways. The only reason he fell from the rope bridge was because he hadn't taken care of his shoes and his laces had come untied.

"Why haven't we been called?" Draco asked, his question not really directed at anyone, but Julian shrugged in answer anyways.

"Don't know." Julian replied, watching as the dark haired professor stood on the starting point once more and began to speak, his voice reaching the far edges of the circle.

"Thank you everyone. There are two names I have yet to call, but by the Headmasters' request, I am telling everyone still here to go back to there rooms. You have classes in the morning and I know most if not all of you have homework." Professor Potter said, motioning up to the castle with a firm wave.

"This doesn't sound like a good situation…" Julian murmured, looking up at his brother whose mouth was set in a scowl.

Draco didn't reply, he simply nudged the smaller boy so he could stand, extending his hand to help the other blond once he was on his feet.

Julian took the offered hand and stood, watching those around him shuffle and chatter as they left for the warm comfort of their common rooms.

"Regretting being the last running yet?" Blaise teased as he passed, pulling the limping blonde girl along with him as she continually tried to get to her boyfriend's side to 'encourage' him to do his best.

"Not at all." Julian replied, his tone firm and steady as he held his brothers hand, awaiting his fate.

Before long, the students had made their way back to their various towers. Some were doing homework some were reading magazines, others were painting their toe nails and giggling over who was dating who so early in the year, but no matter how mundane the variety of activities, all unspoken thoughts were on the two blonds that awaited their fates at the mechanical hands of 'The Beast'.

...

Both blonds watched as James welcomed the headmaster with a bright smile and a hearty handshake, the pure worship barely suppressed within his muddy hazel eyes. For his part, Dumbledore returned the hand shake with pleasant words, but the moment his sharp blue eyes zeroed in on the Malfoy siblings the warm exterior evaporated.

"Good evening children." The headmaster folded his hands behind his back and shifted his weight a bit in a move that spoke of a background with a strong focus on non-magical defense training to the trained eye. "According to Professor Potter, you were the two that ran the longest around the lake this afternoon. But upon reviewing the memory of the event, It has occurred to me that Draco Malfoy would have stopped much sooner than he did. Which made me wonder why he continued…"

Dumbledore then brought his hand around to fold them in front himself a deliberate move to soften his words.

"It is true that Mister Malfoy here is a very fine athlete, The Slytherin team wouldn't allow him such an important position otherwise." The old man smiled and stood taller, "But that doesn't explain running about forty miles in four and a half hours. But that isn't quite right, is it?"

The question was obviously rhetorical, so neither boy answered as probing blue eyes slid over to rake over the beautiful female looking brother on the right.

"In fact, It was our lovely Miss Malfoy that ran such an impressive test of endurance." The 'Miss' was colored with derogatory scorn and thinly veiled disgusted mocking despite the praising words. "For one of such a…disadvantaged education, I must commend you. Had I any proof that you had known of the particulars of this test before hand, I would be inclined to have Madam Pomfrey screen for enhancing potions."

A chill ran down Julian's back at the dismissive laugh that seemed to write the threat off as nothing more than a simple joke.

It turned Julian's stomach to stand in front of this man and allow him to back handedly degrade him with his sweet sounding words. But he swallowed his revulsion and tightened his hold on his brothers' hand briefly before letting go to fold his hands behind his back loosely.

"If memory serves, I seem to recall the two of you being quite inseparable in your younger years. Crying when the other was out of site for too long, then intense worry when instinct matured and with age came certain understandings, yes, the Malfoy boys were quite the site…But I wonder how years of separation has changed your dynamic."

Draco looked over at his sibling and couldn't help but indulge in that thought as well. He had thought his brother dead for so long. Then for the last few years had done everything he could think of to replace the gnawing loneliness that filled his very core.

He'd surrounded himself with all the types of people he knew his brother would hate, even if he did so unconsciously. He'd made fun of and been rude to anyone who looked even remotely well adjusted, when he himself was in such agonizing turmoil. He'd generally become a person that screamed for attention, good or bad, because the closer people looked at him…the less they truly saw and that, in his opinion, was a good thing.

How would having his brother back change things? It's not like one summer would change six years of development… very much like his brother was now more comfortable in a bra and a pair of heels, Draco knew he wore his selfishness and 'better than you' sneer with the same level of comfort. It was part of him.

Pale colored eyes took in the strong jaw and firm set to the shoulders on the being new to him. It occurred to him in that moment that despite months of togetherness, his brother was still a virtual stranger to him. It was most disconcerting and the clenching in his stomach did nothing to help calm his nerves.

"Sir, are you suggesting we work the course as a pair?" Julian asked, no longer wanting to hear Dumbledore wax poetically on about his relationship with his brother, past or present.

The old man had the audacity to look shocked at the question, as if that stupid idea had never even occurred to him and he hadn't been building up to that climatic reveal.

"Why no child." He replied, a grandfatherly 'you're not mature enough to understand the situation' smile curving his lips and deepening his wrinkles. "I wouldn't dream of it. Much too dangerous you know."

Julian's mouth tightened at the calmly shocked placating words that dripped over his skin like cold oil. The chill ran down his back again. It took everything he had not to get sick on the lawn right there on the spot. Instead, he pulled his shoulders back and spoke again. "Then why have us run this last and send everyone to bed? Why not give us own turn with everyone else?"

"Because I do not perceive you having a short run of it." That glint was back in the headmaster's eyes and both blonds felt scrutinized and judged. Strangely, it looked to Julian as if Dumbledore was finding both of them wanting, and while he could understand that reaction from the dangerously bigoted man in accordance with his own being, the same look directed to his brother made him angry.

With that, Dumbledore turned the preverbal stage over to the patiently waiting brunet behind him, taking a seat a few feet away so he would have a good view of the action as it happened.

Professor Potter twitched his wand, said a mumbled spell, and from one moment to the next the area surrounding 'The Beast' lit up as brightly as if it were once again after noon. "This is what the lighting would have been like for your original run and it will progress as such to give you no more advantage or disadvantage as any other student." He said motioning at Draco with his wand. "You will go first, then you," He barely even spared Julian a glance before continuing. "You will do your best and if I or the Headmaster at any point do not feel you are doing your best, there will be consequences."

Leaving the threat hanging in the air like rotting fruit on a low hanging branch, he then motioned for Draco once more and counted him down to start.

Draco entered the mouth of 'The Beast' when the whistle blew and instantly shivered as the large arch he passed though seemed to read his aura to identify a new challenger before everything started to move, sway, shift, swing, swirl, and even disappear.

He ran, climbed, jumped over, crawled under, avoided…it was a good run. But the balance poles were what got him in the end.

Two inch wide bamboo poles spaced out over fifteen feet all swaying back and forth with a strange forward and backward rocking motion combined with a bit of vertigo at looking down to check his status caused a miscalculation on the timing and caused the blond to lose his balance due to a nasty dizzy spell.

The liquid he fell into was clear and had hair not started to sprout from places on his body hair never grew, Draco would've thought he had gotten off lucky. But the hair popping up all over his bruised and tender skin was uncomfortable and quickly growing more painful as he slogged though the topical potion to climb out and end his test.

Dumbledore and Professor Potter murmured to one another before the brunet nodded and made a notation on a long scroll held in his lap.

"Go to the hospital wing Mister Malfoy. Get Pomfrey to see what can be done about that." He said, his full lips twitching, obviously gaining pleasure from seeing a student not of his house in such pain.

Draco wanted to protest. He wanted to stay and watch his brother. He would've too if his eyebrows weren't growing at an alarming rate and covering his eye and he wasn't even going to mention how bad feeling his eyelashes grow was. Instead, he passed his fingertips over the back of his brother's hand as he walked, Dumbledore as an escort as he wasn't the official witness to the tests and a medical escort was needed as no one else was around.

"Get ready." Potter said, motioning for Julian to get into place so his test could start.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"I want to see my brother!" Draco stated loudly the moment he arrived in the medical wing and for a moment, Poppy was transported back in time six years as those same words echoed in his ears.

Turning around to ask why the young man would think she knew where his brother was, she had to suppress a moment of laughter at seeing the walking waterfall of platinum blond hair that stood in the middle of her hospital.

She met twinkling eyes and licked her lips to quell the inappropriate laughter that threatened to bubble out as pale hands attempted to push massive amounts of hair out of the way to see around himself. "I hate to tell you Mister Malfoy, but you won't be seeing much of anything until I can get Professor Snape up here with the correct antidote." She replied, guiding the agitated boy over to a soft bed so she could run a few tests.

"I don't care, I want to hear him at least. Please! I want to know!"

Poppy's heart went out to the young child and with a swirl of her wand, she pulled up a moving image of the one sided battle going on down on the grounds. There was no sound, as the spell was for long distance monitoring only, but she calmly told her patient what was going on as she determined exactly what type of growth potion had been used.

As it turned out, she had a small vile of the anti-serum on hand and while it wasn't enough to cure the hair, it was enough to stop it in a certain area.

After applying the muddy grey colored liquid all over Malfoy's face and casting a trimming and cleaning spell, Poppy bustled off to her office contact the resident potions master and have him start on a large batch of 'No Grow'.

Back in the ward, Draco watched the slaughter happening down on the grounds. Watching his brother move was like watching a muggle television show. He's caught one once upon a time while visiting a friend in Prague. It was all about a small blonde girl who fought vampires in miniskirts, though the vampires he knew looked nothing like the creatures on the show, he still enjoyed the concept and had made it a point to find the show whenever he could while on vacation in a muggle area.

He watched while Julian moved though the swinging sandbags with liquid grace, met the hand to hand aspects head on rather than avoid them. He was rather impressed when an assailant grabbed the tiny blond around the waist and instead of flailing or screaming at the surprise attack, all of the attacks having been frontal until this particular one, Julian immediately threw her slight weight forward and down to flip the man shaped thing over his shoulder, following the shoulder throw up with a drop knee to the stomach as he did a forward roll out of the way of a swinging pendulum right up onto his heels to get a running jump at the rope net that led up to the trapezes.

For the first time, Draco could see why heels would be an advantage in an obstacle course. Instead of slipping off of the ropes in the mad dash to climb, the rope was caught in the corner where the sole and the heel met and moved no further.

Sure, in a real life combat field, there wouldn't be a random rope net to climb, but then again, they were wizards. So who was to say that couldn't just make one appear for the sake of it.

The trapezes likewise gave the high heel wearing cross dresser a slight advantage, because unlike the first few rounds where he used his hands just like everyone else had to swing from bar to swinging bar, Julian simply pulled himself up on the first bar until her was standing and hopped across the swings, his heels keeping him locked on the bar when he landed wrong at one point.

Draco was on the edge of his bed he was so enthralled with the goings on. He wasn't even counting the rounds anymore, to interested in his brothers actions. Like how the heels had been lost after a vicious round house kick to a black shapes' face. It had vanished and one shoe came flying off, the laces having come loose at some point during the course. His brother didn't even blink, just kept right on until there was enough time to pause and take the other one off. The socks followed quickly and Julian was now running the course bare foot.

It was easy to see the pace slowing after that, the pained twitched here and there as the rose ladder was replaced with a rock wall, the rocks uneven and jagged looking to even the outside observer. It was painful to watch as soft feet were cut into and the rocks became slick with rich red blood.

Had anyone else lost their shoes through the running of the obstacle course that afternoon? Draco couldn't remember, but it was unlikely that it hadn't happened before now. …It had to be that magical reading the contraption took before everything started moving…it had to be based on your condition. Physical and Magical. It read you…just like a medical diagnostic spell, 'The Beast' could adapt to you, just like you could adapt to it.

One had to admire the sick twisted mind that had poured enough magic into this artifact to turn it from training tool, to something almost alive and aware enough to fight you back.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Twenty-two rounds later, Julian lay on the grass to the side of the Beast panting for breath and trying to see if anything was broken.

Having pulled out one of the rocking bamboo poles out of the slimy black sludge it was stuck in to take with him to jump over the long stretch of invisible stepping stones that came after another set of swinging sand bags coupled with crushing chompy things that looked highly dangerous. Have passed the last chompy jaw of death as he was like to call it in his mind, Julian had just used the pole to vault over the expanse when right in the middle of the jump, out of know where, it feels like a sledge hammer has been slammed into his the side of his body, the force of the blow throwing him very clear of 'The Beast'.

His test was over and all he could think was, 'ow'.

"After all that….taken down by a simple sandbag. That's kind of pathetic."

Sandbag his ass! That thing had to have been filled with rocks, or had a steel bar in its core. It was too heavy for a simple sandbag….

Had he the energy, Julian would have flipped his professor off. It was un lady like and rude, but god he hated the man. But it took to much effort to even think about lifting his arm to be seen and if the gesture wasn't seen, there was no point to it.

There was a scratching and before long, there was a nudge at his shoulder and he hauled up by his collar.

"Come on kid, Poppy's waiting for you." Julian could almost swear there was a hint of something not quite hostile in the older man's voice. Something that wasn't kind by any means, but could almost be a flicker of respect.

It made the walk through the castle almost pleasant if one ignored the hard stones under tender feet or the curt jerks and pushes this way and that to direct him to the Hospital Wing.

"Goodness Gracious!" Pomfery exclaimed, taking in the violently colored purple bruise forming on Julian's right cheek from a lucky punch one of the higher level hand to hand combatants had gotten in before its legs had been swept out from under it.

She took in the way the poor dear was holding its left arm close to its side, the way he tried to balance more on his toes to keep from putting too much pressure on his soles, how even black and blue and beaten, the child still stood up straight and as tall as they possibly could.

"Julian Malfoy." She stated, a half greeting a half accusation. "That was quite a performance."

Julian decided to take that as a compliment as the woman showed him to a bed right next to his peacefully sleeping brother. Or at least….he looked like he was sleeping.

Despite wanting to sit down on the bed and let the healer check him over, he couldn't help but lean closer to the lightly furred face that was slack with unconsciousness.

"He was getting so upset with each passing round he had to be sedated." Madam Pomfrey explained, ushering the small battered boy onto a bed.

Julian nodded and accepted the answer, too tired to be suspicious that the nice nurse might have dark alternative reasonings for putting his brother to sleep. In fact, Julian felt his own eyes drifting closed, becoming heavier with each blink and as the chocolate was carefully taken out of his hand, he had to wonder how it had gotten there to begin with….and why did the would taste like lavender?

Poppy eased her charge into a laying position as she began complicated healing spells that would mend the cracked bones. She was so thankful Severus had finally figured out a way to make sleeping potions taste better. That it had the added bonus of being a bit under handed was just that, a lovely bonus.

No one ever suspected a small piece of chocolate to contain a fast acting Dreamless Sleep, not even the headmaster himself….

Thank you all so much for reading this chapter! I had a lot of fun completing it and hopefully will be able to get another chapter out before another year goes by. Wouldn't that be nice? Lol

Again, Thank you to readers Old and New and I look forward to hearing from you!

Just a note, the miles Julian ran is based on a 5-7 min. mile. With a hint of exaggeration thrown in for fun. Please note, the Boston Marathon is only 26 something miles, so take it for what it's worth. I have friends who are hard core runners and even they don't run that much at one time.


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